It's Always Open Season On Princesses
by Elsiesnuffin
Summary: Annie is given the opportunity to do some travelling over the summer after her second year at Greendale. Title is in reference to the film 'Roman Holiday'.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: 'Community' belongs to NBC and Dan Harmon.

o

o

o

* * *

Annie let the tepid spray wash over her face for a moment before turning away from the shower head and letting the water run over her paint-saturated hair. The showers in the girls' locker room at Greendale had terrible water pressure, but she couldn't stand the idea of leaving campus in the state she had been in not four minutes ago. It had been a good game, and in the end the bittersweet victory had been theirs. Sure, things had gone down in very messed up and crazy Greendale fashion, but that was her school. Annie was finally ready to admit that she truly loved it there and didn't want to leave.

She rubbed a washcloth against the cheap bar soap that had been left in the large group shower cave that she was in, slightly grossed out by the possibilities of who had last used it. She worked up a relatively good lather and began to scrub her forearms harshly, flakes of orange paint falling to the wet tiled floor at her feet. Annie knew she should probably be running the water hot in order to help break the paint down better, but was so hot and sweaty from the game that the best she could manage was slightly warm for the time being. After getting the majority of paint off of her body, Annie began to focus on her hair, running fingers through the tangled and stiff mess that she'd made of her usually pristine brunette locks. The door to the locker room opened and Annie stilled in her movements for a moment, silently cursing herself for not having flipped the door lock when she'd come in earlier. A uncomfortable shiver ran over her entire body and she reached a hand over to adjust the temperature of the water upward. Shoes clicked against the tiled floor of the changing area. "Hello?" she finally called out unsurely.

"Hi." Annie felt an odd sensation of being both relieved and completely unnerved by the voice that she recognized so well.

"Um," Annie chuckled nervously. "Jeff, I'm kind of naked here." She cast her eyes around the large darkened stall.

He exhaled. "Yeah."

Annie returned to her task of trying to drag her fingers through her hair, careful not to tug at knots that had formed. "I think some people might read something into this," she shot out defiantly and gave herself a mental pat on the back for giving off more attitude than she actually felt at the moment. She really didn't know if she was in the mood to have a battle of wits with Jeff. It had been a long day.

A long year.

"Are you one of those people?" he asked and Annie noted his voice had a stilted, anxious quality to it that made her uneasy.

Shaking her head gently even though she knew he couldn't see her, Annie answered quietly. "I learned my lesson." She flipped her hair over her other shoulder before speaking. "I left my shampoo out there on a bench. Could you get it?"

"Uh…yeah." She heard his boots click away and then return a minute later. "Um…" Annie pursed her lips and reached one wet arm around the full-length tiled wall and toward where he was standing. His strong fingers brushed against her own slippery ones as he handed the bottle to her and Annie rolled her eyes at the jolt she felt in her stomach. Old habits died hard but they _did _die.

Eventually.

"Thank you," she said after a beat.

"Sure."

They stood in awkward silence for what seemed like several hours before Annie finally poured a generous amount of shampoo into her palm and started to work at washing her mess of hair. "So what brings you to the girls' locker room, Jeff?"

"I…wanted to talk to you," he stated haltingly. "And I figured if I cornered you here, you couldn't do that thing where you flounce away half way through."

Annie paused, her hands full of soapy hair. "Are you planning on saying something that is going to upset me?"

"I'm not sure," Jeff chuckled humorlessly. "Maybe? Probably."

She sighed and applied more pressure to her head, scrubbing with her fingers near the roots. "Okay."

He didn't speak for several seconds, and Annie was on the verge of calling out to him when he cleared his throat. "I just…I wanted to tell you that…" Annie hadn't realized she was holding her breath until her brain took over for her and she gasped lightly for air. "…you were right." He coughed. This was the most awkward conversation they'd ever had by a country mile. Annie scrunched up her face. Were country miles longer than city miles? "…when you said the study group is like a family."

"Really?" Annie squeaked.

"Yeah," he answered, and his voice was strangely gruff sounding. Annie felt her body react to it and reached over to turn the water temperature up. "And, in order to keep things that way-"

"Right," she said to herself, knowing where this was going already.

"-then I really need to remain the father figure here." Annie heard regret in his voice, but in the next instant was sure it was manufactured in her own mind. Jeff sighed. "Okay? Annie?"

"Yeah," she replied perfunctorily. She began scrubbing harder at her scalp, trying to wipe away the streams of suds running down her face as well as she could. "No, that seems right. You and Britta will be the parents and Troy and Abed and I will continue to be the kids, right?" He was right, she did want to flounce away. Trapping her in a cold on-the-verge-of-condemnation group shower on a deserted campus was probably the best he could have hoped for.

"Annie," he sighed again and she could hear how very tired he was of the whole thing. He was actually trying to be a good guy. "You know this is the right thing to do."

Annie frowned down at the tiled floor that was covered with orange-tinted foam. "Yeah," she breathed and she could almost hear the relief in his voice when he spoke again.

"And because we've gotten that figured out now," he started with a slightly bolder tone. "I think you can probably cut back on the whole 'teenage acting out' thing you've been trying."

Annie had stuck her entire head under the gentle spray of water to begin rinsing her hair, and therefore was sure she had misheard him. "What?" she asked, drawing the word out for several syllables.

He chuckled. "Come on, Annie." She frowned at the wall he was standing behind. "You try to make time with the hired paintball assassin and then you try to make time with Abed." She felt her cheeks flush at the memory no one else knew about. "I mean, seriously. What was that?"

"Nothing," Annie lied coolly, feeling her jaw tighten and cranked up the water temperature yet again, letting the steam spill through the tense air Jeff had created between them. "And I'm pretty sure dads don't ask those questions to their teenage daughters."

"You bet your ass they do," he shot back quickly before falling silent.

She fully rinsed her hair out, combing her fingers through it easily now. She was fairly certain he was still there, breathing only three feet from her with a solid concrete wall separating them. If he had ever had the urge at all, he would only have to take a step forward and look back.

But he stayed where he was, just as Annie had known he would.

"Jeff," she sighed.

"Yeah."

She stared expectantly at the wall, as if he would be able to feel it. "You're still here."

"Yeah," he echoed, his voice seeming distant.

She cleared her throat. "So, was there something else you needed?"

"I stand by everything I just said, Annie." He had turned to actually face the wall now, she could tell by the shift in his tone.

"Yeah," Annie answered, feeling irritated. "I know."

"We're a family," Jeff reiterated. "But…you weren't necessarily reading into things." She was aware she was holding her breath now, waiting for him to explain himself better on that topic, but the locker room was silent again save the running water. Annie reached over and turned the faucet off. "Look, I'm kind of slowly learning how to care about people, Annie." She crossed her arms protectively over her chest, feeling the immediate chill the lack of water left her with. "And you're a big part of that. But part of that process is knowing that we …would never work." Annie wanted to berate him for taking the easy way out. She wanted to barrel toward him, debate him until he was beat into submission. She wanted to argue against his reasoning.

But she didn't.

"I guess I'm lucky you're so moral when it comes to me," is what finally came out some time later. He sighed again and Annie was really starting to hate that sound. He was the put-upon one here?

"You _do _know it's a compliment, right?" Jeff drawled out.

"I know," She replied softly. She moved forward and reached around the end of the wall, grasping blindly for the towel she'd hung there.

"Oh," Jeff called out and then the towel landed in her outstretched hand. She pulled it back, feeling a slightly tremble shoot through her body. "I should probably leave," he said after an awkward moment.

"We're still going to Denny's?" she asked quickly, hopefully. Annie still wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to her study group for the summer yet.

"Yeah," Jeff answered and she could practically hear him rolling his eyes. She let herself smile slightly. They stood together in silence for what could have been a full minute before Annie cleared her throat. "So, I'll see you there?"

"Oh, yeah." He paused. "You have…clothes to change into?"

"Abed leant me some," Annie replied as she began to dry herself with the small towel he'd also given her. She was going to have to buy for him as a thank you.

"Abed," she heard Jeff repeat.

"He was Han," she heard herself say in her own defense.

Jeff cleared his throat. "Yeah."

Annie bit her lip. "Pancakes?"

He exhaled. "Pancakes."

The tell-tale clicking of his boots against the cheap tiling told Annie he was walking away. She heard the door open and then close and counted to seventeen before taking a deep breath and stepping out of the shower and walking the short distance to the changing area. She bent over slightly and began to dry her hair in earnest with the small already-wet towel Abed had offered her.

And then the door opened again.

Everything slowed down. Clumsily, Annie tried to cover herself with the small towel she'd had wrapped around her thick hair only a moment earlier. It seemed to be in vain however, as she watched Jeff's jaw slacken and his eyes widen at the sight of her before he remembered exactly who they were and then his entire body shifted sideways and he was facing the door again, his eyes squeezed tight.

"Yeah," His voice sounded strangled. "I was just going to tell you which Denny's."

"You could have texted that," Annie huffed, still trying to conceal her naked form.

"Yeah," Jeff responded. "I'm sorry."

"Well," Annie frowned at him. "I've seen you naked, so now we can be even."

"'Friends'?" Jeff asked without glancing toward her.

"Yeah," Annie chuckled in response before rolling her eyes. "So, which Denny's?"

"I'll just text you," Jeff shot back quickly as he reached blindly for the door handle.

"Jeff?" Annie asked, actually beginning to enjoy how flustered he appeared to be by the current situation.

"Yeah?"

She slowly walked toward him, the damp towel clinging to her courtesy of a hasty closure in between her breasts. "I don't think dads do this either." She bit her lip.

He opened his eyes then and looked over at her, his expression serious.

"Yeah."

He was gone as quickly as he had come and Annie was alone again.

Naturally.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well," Shirley noted as she slid into the booth behind Jeff. "At least we will all actually fit in one booth now instead of breaking up into two groups."

"Shirley, that's terrible." Britta frowned from her spot across the table as they all settled against the vinyl. It was a tight squeeze and after a full minute of squished arm space, Jeff raised his left arm to the top of the booth, resting behind Shirley. She smiled up at him and he gave her a mischievous wink in return. She tittered before picking up her menu.

"I know I said I would come guys, but I'm only staying for a little while." She perused the laminated menu in front of her. "I've got babies I need to get home to." Jeff didn't bother with looking at his own menu given the confines of the circular corner booth Troy and Abed had secured for them. Instead, he merely bent his head toward Shirley's menu and she silently held it higher for him to read.

"You had to come Shirley," Troy noted from the other side of Jeff. "You almost saved the day."

After he'd rushed back out of the locker room with the vision of Annie's naked form still in his mind, Jeff had sat behind the wheel of his Lexus for fourteen full minutes before he'd been able to start the engine. It wasn't like it was the first time he'd ever seen a naked woman. She wasn't even the _youngest_ naked woman he'd ever seen. But, somehow the fact that it was _Annie _was playing games with his brain. Sure, he'd pictured her naked before. He pictured _every_ woman naked. It was an impulse he'd held onto since puberty. However, Jeff had always had a habit of making women better in his head than they actually were. He never imagined imperfections, only pristine smooth skin, which led to some sick sort of disappointment in the very back part of his subconscious when faced with reality. With Annie though, it was different. He'd only seen her for a moment before he'd averted his eyes, but it was long enough to take in her dripping wet form, the yards of creamy smooth skin wrapped around the tight body of a woman barely out of her teens. He shifted uncomfortably in the booth at the memory and tried to think about Leonard mumbling 'taint' over and over again.

"Guys," Annie whined and Jeff watched Britta roll her eyes in the direction of the younger female. "I feel terrible about this Pierce thing." She looked around the table pitifully, her eyes never staying too long on any of them. "Can't we try and work this out?"

"There's nothing to work out, Annie." Jeff shifted in his seat as he watched her face harden toward him. For a split second, Jeff let his mind wander to another situation in which she might give him that expression and he shifted in the booth again. He couldn't think about that now though. He needed to make his point. "Pierce left _us_, not the other way around." He sat back and watched Shirley nod in agreement. "It was his call."

"He made that call because he thinks none of us like him," Annie challenged emphatically.

Jeff rolled his eyes. "None of us _do_ like him." She sputtered in disagreement. "Admit it, Annie." He leveled her with a smirk. "You are just as put off as the rest of us by his intolerance, his egomania, and his delusion."

"Dude is crazy pants sometimes," Troy said in a somber tone. "He sleeps in a water bed. What is with that?"

Annie narrowed her eyes. "Oh, his intolerance. Like Shirley?"

"You better watch yourself," Shirley shot out darkly.

"Is Pierce's ego bigger than yours, Jeff?" Annie continued, her eyebrows raising mockingly. Jeff clenched his jaw but didn't respond. "Is he more delusional than Abed?"

"Annie," Britta remarked, turning to the brunette. "That's not very nice."

"No, it's fair." Abed turned to face Jeff, his head inclined in the unnerving way it usually was. "It's true, I could be classified as delusional by qualified professionals." At his acquiescence, Annie looked chagrined and Jeff narrowed his eyes at the flush that pinked her cheeks. He glanced back over at Abed, but Abed was not acknowledging Annie in the slightest. The sudden thing between them was irritating. He didn't care, but did Annie really have to throw herself at every guy who smiled at her? Ignoring the expression on her face, Jeff moved his face even closer to the menu that Shirley was holding.

"I'm going to get one of those ice cream sundaes with the bacon on it," Troy announced.

Abed nodded his approval. "Nice."

"Wait, so that's it?" Annie prodded and Jeff looked back at her derisively. "We're just done talking about this Pierce thing?"

Britta turned to face her. "What do you want us to do about it, Annie?"

"Seriously," Jeff agreed. Annie stared at him evenly, an expression forming on her face. Before Jeff could place the look, he glanced toward Troy. "Bacon on a sundae?"

Troy shrugged. "Apparently."

"Ugh," Britta groaned. "Do you really need to have meat on your ice cream? What does this mean for us as a society?"

"Britta," Annie snapped. Jeff's eyes widened in surprise at her tone, trying not to smile at the shocked response it drew from Britta. "He just donated a hundred thousand dollars to our school."

"And then he called us dysfunctional," Britta answered smoothly.

"Technically, he didn't." Abed glanced over at Jeff. "But the implication was there."

"He's not wrong," Shirley noted from next to Jeff and he turned his gaze toward her.

"Shirley, really?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Shirley glanced up at him, a challenging look on her face. "We're supposed to be a family Jeff." He nodded a prompt for her to finish. "So, where does you and Britta casually sleeping together fit into that family tree?"

He could feel Troy stiffen next to him and looked over curiously before acknowledging Shirley's question. "Actually, even though you all stood in the study room and gave us your _blessing_, Britta and I aren't…"

"Doing that any more," Britta finished for him when he trailed off. She was fidgeting on the other side of the table and Jeff frowned. Annie's eyes widened in surprise and Jeff watched as her eyes moved from Britta's face to his own. He gave a non-committal shrug and she frowned before glancing back down at her own menu. Britta cleared her throat loudly. "So, Annie how did you end up losing half of your clothes?"

"I was gonna ask," Shirley noted with a nod.

Annie glanced up, her eyes wide at the direction the conversation had veered. Jeff himself had actually had the impulse to ask her earlier what had happened, but knew it would be taken in the wrong way.

Not that he meant it in that way. He was just curious.

"They were slowing me down," Annie shrugged, shooting a lightening-quick challenging look toward Jeff before grimacing to herself. "I'm going to owe the rental place money now."

"It was worth it," Troy said in a low voice and Jeff turned his head in time to see Abed nod in agreement.

"Plus," Abed joined in. "It was necessary for the character arc you're taking, Annie." Jeff frowned, and before he could question that, Abed continued. "By shedding your metaphorical cocoon of a matronly outfit, you were telling everyone that you're ready to be viewed as not only a sex symbol, but also a bad ass."

"Bad ass," Troy echoed.

Jeff's eyes moved over to said bad ass. She was currently wearing a 'Calvin and Hobbes' tee shirt that she'd borrowed from Abed and was twirling a strand of hair nervously around her finger as she listened to them speak about her so frankly, her blush deepening with every passing second. Maybe not _quite_ bad ass. What else had Abed just said? That she wanted to be viewed as a sex symbol? She hadn't wanted that before? With her short skirts and tight sweaters and come hither eyes always pointed toward him? Jeff shook his head to clear it.

"Can we talk about how it turns out Vicky is kind of crazy?" he asked with a chuckle.

He heard someone huff directly behind him. "I'm right here, you asshole." Jeff looked over his shoulder to see Vicky in the booth next to theirs, huddled together with Fa- with Neil and Magnitude and Quendra. He gave her an apologetic smile.

"Good game, guys." Quendra simpered in his direction and he absorbed the feeling before turning back to face his friends. Annie was giving him the Disney Face . Her lip disappeared into her mouth. "Okay guys," he mumbled. "We should probably come up with a plan to talk some sense into Pierce." Britta rolled her eyes at him just as Annie grinned widely and clapped her hands together once. He watched Abed's head snap in his direction, his face inquisitive.

"You've got to be kidding," Britta stated in a flat tone, almost begging him to prove her wrong with his normal sense of unfeeling…ness.

Annie rolled her eyes and Jeff idly wondered what might happen if they started wrestling again. Before his brain could really engage in that particular whimsy, Annie was standing with gusto. "Tell you what," she announced as she tucked her still damp hair behind her ear. "I'll go and talk to him myself." She shot Britta a 'how do you like them apples?' look before smiling triumphantly in Jeff's direction.

Troy groaned. "I really want ice cream, but I need a ride." Annie raised eyebrows at him, waiting for him to make a decision. He turned to face Abed. "Text me and let me know if it's awesome."

"Okay," Abed agreed amiably.

Troy motioned for Jeff and Shirley to let him out of the booth. Shirley growled slightly before climbing out, her priest robes billowing around her. Jeff followed her, his jeans squeaking against the vinyl. He ended up in Annie's personal space as Troy pushed him forward. She smelled like the shampoo she'd been using and he glared back at Troy instead of settling into a moment with her. They couldn't have moments. He was the one who'd drawn the line in the sand. Now all he had to do was stay on the correct side of it. Annie's eyes flitted up to Jeff's face uncertainly before she smiled over at Shirley. "I'm going to fix everything."

Shirley smiled encouragingly at the younger woman even as Troy snuck around them and ended up behind Annie. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Troy. Jeff swallowed at the sight of them leaving together, comfortable in each other's company.

'And Troy and Abed and I will continue to be the kids.'

He felt Shirley hand wrap around his forearm, signaling for him to climb back into the booth. He slid in, this time next to Abed, who smelled like the same kind of shampoo as Annie. It was wholly disconcerting and Jeff felt himself edge slightly closer to Shirley.

"Is there any chance that this is going to work out in the way she wants it to?" Britta asked, looking over her shoulder and the door Annie and Troy were exited through.

Jeff tore his eyes away from her retreating figure and shrugged.

"Whatever," he said flatly.


	3. Chapter 3

Annie pulled the door open with a hard tug and walked slowly into the restaurant. Her brain was trying so hard to wrap around all the information she'd just been given that she was worried about it over-heating and shutting down. She continued, zombie-like, through the crowded restaurant. The restaurant that was filled with her Greendale classmates celebrating their victory. Everyone but the person who had actually won for them.

Pierce.

She dropped heavily into the booth next to Britta, causing the blonde to bounce slightly, turning wide eyes on Annie. "Annie, what-" She stopped when she took in the expression on Annie's face and the younger woman felt a small cold hand drop onto hers. "Annie, what's wrong?"

Annie shook her head, not trusting her voice to say anything at the moment. Her eyes moved without her permission to Jeff's face. He was staring at her with narrowed eyes, concern in his countenance. Annie shook it off quickly. Of course he seemed concerned. She'd just shuffled in without speaking.

"What did Pierce say?" Abed asked, turning questioning eyes on Annie and she met his gaze. His eyes changed for a second in a way that Annie couldn't pinpoint and then he was chewing his waffles again.

"He…" Annie shook her head, running the words over in her own mind before saying them aloud. When they hit her, she felt a crazy giggle bubble up from her stomach and then the brunette was swallowing it back down, trying to adopt the same somber face she'd had a minute earlier. The idea was absurd really. But it was real. "He gave me a free trip to Italy."

"What?" Jeff was the first to say, his voice going up an octave. His eyebrows rose incredulously.

Britta turned her head toward Annie. "Seriously, Annie?"

Annie felt herself nod quickly before meeting Abed's gaze again. He nodded slightly, as if this all made perfect sense to him. At least it made sense to someone.

She would need to buy an outlet adapter for her hair dryer.

And get a passport.

"No he didn't," Jeff announced before picking at his egg whites.

Annie frowned at him. "Yes, he did." With a flourish, she pulled the tickets out of the borrowed basketball shorts she was wearing and slapped them onto the table.

Jeff pulled them toward him and flipped one open to stare at it. Annie glowered in silence, waiting for a response from him. She was rewarded three seconds later when Jeff's attention turned back to her. "So, you're going to Europe with Pierce? You kids have a good time."

"Ew," Annie noted, wrinkling her nose. "Jeff, don't be gross." She pulled the tickets back quickly. "He said that despite how he feels about all of us as a group, he still thinks I'm a good kid and…I deserve to _be_ a kid." At this, she shot Jeff a pointed look which he deflected easily.

"So, what's the catch?" he asked.

Annie huffed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, Annie." Britta was facing Annie, but kept her eyes on Jeff. "It seems a little strange that after a year of being an irredeemable jerk that he would up and give you two plane tickets to Europe, no strings attached."

Annie stilled and thought back to her conversation with the older man that had only happened an hour earlier. When she'd arrived at Hawthorne Manor, she was overwhelmed. She'd never been there before, only heard tales of the extravagance that Pierce and Troy lived in. Troy nervously opened the front door and Annie could tell from his body language that he was relieved his stuff wasn't in boxes by the front door. Pierce had stepped out into the foyer, smoking jacket tied around his waist and a glass of scotch in his hand and greeted them warmly for someone who had told them to go take a flying leap not an hour earlier. He'd wasted almost no time in announcing to Annie that he had something for her and had handed the tickets to her with no fanfare. He had a house outside Rome that she was free to live in. He was rattling off names of local vineyards and bakeries before Annie had even realized what was really happening.

"Or maybe he's a genuinely good person who just wants people to like him," Annie countered with a severe look from Jeff to Britta, who had the good grace to look chagrined. She straightened primly before running a hand over her finally dry hair. "He said it was an early birthday present and that I should feel free to take whomever I want."

Jeff exhaled through his mouth, re-grouping. "Well," he finally said. "This seems like a good safe idea."

"What happened to Shirley?" Annie asked, trying to sideline the conversation.

"She bailed," Abed answered. "Said she needed to pump again."

"Who are you going to take?" Britta asked with a shudder.

"What?" Jeff asked, shooting Britta a derisive look. "You are _not_ going along with this."

Britta shrugged. "They appear to be real plane tickets." Annie watched the two argue as if she really was their child who was asking to go to Europe for the summer. The thought made her nauseas. "And we'll look up his address before hand and make sure there's really a house there." Britta smiled at Annie. "She should be allowed to have a little fun." Annie returned the smile with a wavering one of her own, trying not to focus on the implication that Britta wanted her out of the country. "You'll have a blast, Annie. And, if you're looking for a traveling companion, I have been to Europe and know my way around."

"Amsterdam doesn't count," Jeff said, his voice getting an edge to it that made Annie nervous. "And you", he directed his statement toward Annie, "can't seriously be considering going to Italy with a woman who will desert you the minute she meets a Rastafarian who invites her back to the hemp-filled hostel where he's staying." Annie frowned before looking over at Britta who in turn was glaring at Jeff. "Am I going to have to put up with everyone making plays for this extra ticket now like this is 'Saved By The Bell'?"

"Annie," Leonard said as he approached their table. "Hear you're going to Italy. Have I ever mentioned I speak Italian?" He waggled his eyebrows at her and Annie grimaced over at Abed.

"It doesn't matter who asks for the second ticket," Abed stated evenly and Annie's eyes widened. "Really, there is only one person who Annie wants to go with her, and ultimately it's the only person who will be invited." Abed's eyes swept to his left and Jeff coughed loudly.

"I'm going to go put five dollars in the claw machine," Jeff announced acerbically as he rose from the booth and stalked off.

"Abed," Annie scolded after a minute's awkward silence. "You have no way of knowing that."

"Oh please, Annie." Britta snickered openly before covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry, but it is pretty obvious that if you were going to ask somebody to go with you, it would be Jeff."

"Uh, on what planet?" Annie hissed.

Britta rolled her eyes. "Uh, on the same one where the two of you were having some sort of secret magical love affair all year?"

Annie felt her stomach tighten. "No. That was you," she answered dourly.

The blonde's expression changed instantly, regret flooding her emotions. "Annie, I didn't mean to…" She trailed off when Jeff flopped back into the booth unceremoniously. "What happened to the claw game?"

"Garrett is hogging it," Jeff pouted without making eye contact with anyone. He pulled his phone out and began to play with it.

"Jeff, have you ever been the Europe?" Abed asked, still not letting it go.

"Uh, yeah." Jeff wouldn't look up from his screen. Annie clenched her jaw. "I think I was maybe twenty?"

"That was a long time ago," Britta cracked to a spontaneous round of indifference. Jeff still wouldn't look up from his screen.

"You better decide fast," Jeff stated in Annie's direction as he turned his phone around to show her. "It's all over Twitter." Annie sighed and leaned forward to look at the small screen before turning around with drawn eyebrows.

"Starburns!" she chastised with a shake of the head.

"My name is Alex," he answered slowly, as if he was making a very good point. Annie turned back around, her hair swishing behind her.

Annie watched Britta carefully eat her salad. She honestly had no idea who she should take. Jeff made a good point when he said Britta would probably leave her high and dry, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be fun. Troy was goofy enough that he would make things interesting. Shirley would embrace the relaxing nature of it, as well as the shopping. Abed would insist on acting out every Bond chase scene that had ever happened. And Jeff…

Jeff was the person she _would_ most want to take. He was fun, but still acted like a grown up. He knew how to use his charms to his advantage, which would mean _her _advantage. He was tall and could get things off of high shelves for her. There was just the little problem of her attraction to him that was a hindrance now. Even if she was just asking as a friend, Jeff would never take it that way. So convinced was he that she…_wanted_ him that he would never agree to go along with it, even for a free trip to Europe.

"Do you speak any foreign languages?" Abed was now asking Jeff, who rolled his eyes before lifting his face to meet Abed's gaze.

"Pig Latin," he answered in a clipped tone. "Oo-yay?"

"There's a cute guy in my computer science class," Annie mused out loud, ignoring the two men at the table. "I wonder how he would feel about Italy."

"Skinny Jason Segal?" Abed asked without missing a beat. "He's gay."

"And his boyfriend is a bitch," Britta added with a knowing nod. Annie frowned.

"Well, then I'm back to square one." She leaned forward and took a sip from her water glass.

"Jeff, do you like spaghetti?" Abed asked after a moment's silence.

"Abed," Jeff intoned, looking up from his phone. "Let me save you some time here-"

"No, let me save _you_ some time here, Jeff!" Annie narrowed her eyes at him angrily. Jeff froze, his eyes widening to a comical degree "I have absolutely no intention of asking you to come to Europe with me, okay?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Thank God," Britta groaned out, relief clear in her voice. "I was so worried you really did want to go with him."

"She does," Abed noted with a quick glance toward Jeff. "I've seen enough television and movies to know that _that _is where the story is here."

"This isn't a _movie_, Abed." Annie frowned at him. "What if I was going to ask you, huh?"

Abed shook his head. "Annie, please. You're really smothering me."

"Okay," Jeff snapped, glancing between the two of them. "Seriously, what is with you two?"

Annie sputtered wordlessly, trying to think of something to say to him as his blue eyes bore into her. "Oh, Annie and I made out," Abed announced before taking another bite of waffle.

"What?" Britta tittered incredulously, looking over at Annie with wide eyes. "You did?" She looked over at Abed quickly before meeting Annie's eye again. "Way to go, Annie."

Annie smiled slightly in return before catching Jeff's expression. His eyebrows were furrowed in what was clearly annoyance. "You kissed Abed?" he hissed in an accusatory tone.

"Technically, I kissed _her_," Abed said through a mouthful off waffle.

"It was mutual," Annie defended with a nod to Abed. He shrugged. She slowly brought her gaze back to Jeff unsurely. His eyes were hard and cold. "He was Han," she said reluctantly.

"It stands to reason that it would happen," Abed said. "Annie had a lot of pent of sexual tension inside of her that needed to be let out." He stopped to chew. "Jeff effectively took himself out of the running by claiming that anything between he and Annie was fabricated in her own mind and Black Rider had Coldplay tickets." With that, he devoted his full attention to his plate again.

"Was it awesome?" Britta asked with a waggle of her eyebrows.

"Britta," Jeff growled. "Shut up."

"_You_ shut up," she shot back.

"Both of you shut up," Annie stated, drawing shocked expressions from both of them. "What happens between Abed and I is between _us_." She shot him an imploring look.

"I asked earlier and you said it was nothing," Jeff said, completely ignoring everything she'd just said.

Annie felt something hot coil in her stomach and leveled him with a glare that could freeze water. "Earlier? Was that when you accosted me in the girls' locker room while I was showering?"

Jeff's eyes doubled in size and his body stilled completely for a full three seconds. "Whoa," Britta breathed out. "Dude, that is so creepy."

"Pretty creepy," Abed agreed.

"That was not…" Jeff started, but trailed off with a groan. He looked at Annie beseechingly. "Would you tell them that nothing weird happened?"

Game. Set. Match. "You mean, like you walking in on me naked?" She smiled as sweetly as she could, given the horrible blush that was staining her cheeks.

Alex dropped into the booth next to Jeff and turned to address him. "How was it?" he asked in a stage whisper. "Perky?" Jeff put his hand over Starburns's face and pushed him back out of the booth before turning a glare back on Annie.

"You're mad that I lied to you, Jeff?" she asked icily. "Kind of like the way you were lying all year?" His face paled and his jaw slackened.

"Annie, me and Jeff was not that big of a deal." Britta was rubbing her arm now. "It didn't matter to either of us at all."

But Annie wouldn't take her eyes off of Jeff's blank face.

"That's not what I'm talking about."


	4. Chapter 4

Jeff glowered at his television, which was currently inflicting some singing Alfred E. Newman look-alike on him. He rolled his eyes and flipped the channel, settling on a re-run of 'Myth Busters' before picking his phone up again to play more 'Angry Birds'.

This was actually his life. It almost made him a little sorry for himself. He could go out to a bar, get drunk and hook up with a girl who had a low IQ and a high bra cup size. All he had to do was get off the couch and shower. Weighing his options, Jeff instead settled back into his couch further, propping his feet up on his wobbly coffee table. It was a rare case of having the apartment to himself, as Chang had started serving part time at Applebee's. Did it mean that he was actually contributing to the rent or all the food he ate? No, it didn't Seriously, who could eat that many pounds of dill pickle chips? At least Jeff could relax in peace without Ben high-jacking the remote to watch endless episodes of 'Wipeout'.

There was a knock on the door and Jeff groaned audibly as he rose from the couch. Great, he was making that noise he used to hear his uncle Paul make when he got out of his chair. That would probably end well for him. He muted the television and shuffled to the door, eyes still on the screen of his phone. When he reached the door, Jeff stooped slightly to look through the peephole and recoiled at the sight in surprise.

Annie stood on the opposite side of the door, teeth worrying her lower lip. Her eyes were shifting back and forth down the hallway before she glanced nervously at his door again. Her hands were clasped in front of her, fingers twining together awkwardly. She looked so…young.

He knew she was leaving the next day, but had managed to remove himself from the several days worth of drama surrounding who was going with her. Everyone in the study group was angling for the extra ticket as well as several Greendale students, some of whom couldn't pick Annie out of a lineup.

Sighing, Jeff slid the chain off the door and opened it to her, eyebrows up in curiosity. "Annie," he greeted before frowning slightly. "How did you know where I live?"

"Ketchup fight," she said by way of explanation and Jeff rolled his eyes. That night, he hadn't managed to get home in time and was just left with a ketchup-covered Chang and the after effects all over his apartment. "Can I come in?" She was agitated, seeming to almost be hopping from foot to foot. A joke about her Ritalin dosage died on his tongue as he ushered her in with a wave of the arm. She moved quickly, her head had a determined set to it.

Crap.

"What's up?" he asked, deciding to move this whole thing forward as quickly as he could.

She went all twitchy and wouldn't look at him. "I have some things that I need to say and I would really appreciate it if you didn't say anything until I'm done." She met his eye fleetingly before glancing back down at his floor. Jeff stilled, leaning against the back of the sofa.

"Okay," he drawled out slowly, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for her to continue.

She took a deep breath and launched into what Jeff was sure was a practiced speech. "I've spent my whole life just existing, being a supporting character in my own story."

"Annie," Jeff frowned but snapped his mouth shut when she shot him a look.

"-and this is my chance to really see what I can do, as a person. As a woman." She stopped to breathe for a moment and Jeff watched her silently. After a full minute of working herself up to it, Annie met his eye and Jeff inhaled sharply at the expression he saw there. "I think I might love you," she started and Jeff suddenly felt like someone had forced a hot rock down into his lungs. "And I know that you think I'm delusional for thinking it and you're discounting my feelings in your head right now," Annie went on unheeded and Jeff swallowed, freaked out at the fact that her words were mirroring his thoughts exactly. It wasn't that he thought she was crazy, he just thought she was _twenty years old_. She was too young to even understand what that word meant in a real way. _He _didn't know what it meant really. "And after you cornered me in the shower the other day, I really had planned on being cold to you, the way I've seen women act in movies." Annie had started pacing back and forth in front of him and Jeff watched her movement, as if watching a tennis match. "That really was my plan, to be coy and elusive and- and sexy… and make you sorry you'd treated me like a little kid _again_." She paused and stared at him again and Jeff cursed to himself when it affected him just as strongly the second time. What was the matter with him? "But I don't know how to _be_ coy or elusive or sexy," she added with a frown. "I only know how to be this." At that, Annie gestured down to herself with a flick of the wrist. She shook her head slowly, almost talking to herself now. "You spend half of your time reacting to me as if I'm some clingy nutbar and the other half of the time looking at me…" She trailed off just as Jeff averted his eyes toward the muted television. "I know you said you wanted to be the father figure, and George Michael illusions notwithstanding, I do respect that if that's your decision." Jeff swallowed again and thought briefly about checking the temperature of the apartment, which seemed to have risen several degrees in the last two minutes. "I just need to know one way or the other so at least," she sighed and smoothed her hands down the front of her skirt, "at least I can move past this weird limbo that I've kept myself in."

Jeff fought the urge to move forward, to try to distract her with 'American Idol' or Hungry Hungry Hippos or even a ketchup fight if that was what it took. His chest actually ached. He was pretty sure that was the sensation he was experiencing. It was awful. He wished he could push the words back into her mouth, but now they were out there and what was he supposed to do about that? Annie had to have known how this was going to end when she came over in the first place. Was that why she was so fidgety? He couldn't actually do anything about this, so why did she keep pushing it? She was staring at him again in that way, and Jeff's inner monologue came to a screeching halt at the look on her face.

"I want you to come to Europe with me," Annie finally stated in a small voice and Jeff felt all the air leave his lungs in a loud _whoosh_ before stilling. "You can argue now," she finished, once again clasping her hands in front of her.

"You specifically said," Jeff pointed out slowly, "that you weren't going to ask me to go with you."

"I did say that," she conceded with a curt nod. "But that was the easy way out, for both of us."

Jeff rubbed the spot between his eyebrows where he felt a headache forming. How did she always manage to make him feel like his brain was about to explode? "Yeah, we really sidestepped that." He opened his eyes and looked at her, in her sadly hopeful purple cardigan, hair clipped back with a sparkly barrette. "Annie," he breathed out, wincing at how pitying his voice sounded even to his own ears. "I'm…really…flattered, but-"

"Are you attracted to me, Jeff?" she cut in, moving toward him with resolve.

He closed his eyes, willing her to go away. When she didn't, he opened them again, his eyes settling somewhere on the wall over her left shoulder. "Yes," he finally murmured. "But-"

"Then I want you to come to Europe with me," she reiterated smoothly. Jeff furrowed his brow.

"Annie," he sighed. She was going to make this as painful as she could, wasn't she?

"Jeff," she echoed. "Give me a chance." She moved another step toward him and he reared backward. "Away from everyone else who might for some reason give a…" She cleared her throat, and with determination, started again. "Might give a shit."

Jeff felt a surreal spike of desire shoot through him at the sound of her cursing, but he shoved it back into its box and shut the lid just as quickly as it had escaped. It looked like he would have to try another approach with her. "You don't think people would notice if we both disappear together?"

"I don't care," Annie said in a hushed emphatic tone. Jeff blinked slowly. "I…I want to see what _we_ can do, Jeff."

Something clicked in Jeff's brain and his mouth dropped open in understanding. "There it is," he muttered. "The catch."

Annie's expression clouded. "What do you mean?"

"I just figured out what Pierce was getting out of this," he reasoned slowly, slumping slightly from the realization.

"Okay?" Annie prompted.

"It's my psychological torture that he's after here," Jeff stated, and it sounded crazy even to his own ears, so he wasn't surprised when Annie shot him a concerned look.

"Any torture going on here is self-inflicted, Jeff." She was shaking her head.

"Really?" Jeff scoffed, crossing her arms over his chest defensively again. "I say yes and I'm…some pervert," he pointed out. "I say no and I'm the jerk who hurts you. How is that not psychological torture?"

Annie visibly softened, her shoulders sagging. Cautiously, she moved forward, stopping just inside his personal space. "Jeff," she said softly and he flinched at the gentle tone. This would be going much better if they were yelling at each other. He felt most comfortable around her when he wanted to wring her neck. "Whatever happens, we're still friends." Girls always said stuff like that, and then you called out the wrong name in bed and they were out the door without another word. "If you _do_ feel something for me, couldn't we at least see what it is six thousand miles away from Greendale?" Damn if she wasn't making her case. She really _was_ a good debater. He stared at her evenly, blinked in the silence and waited for the moment to settle. He breathed.

"_Annie_."

She swallowed and drew her mouth into a resolutely firm line. "I'm going to leave the other ticket here for you-"

"Don't do that," he warned, eyes bulging as he stood to his full height.

Annie flinched at the movement, but kept speaking. "If you want to come, you should come." She shrugged. "I _can_ be fun, you know."

Jeff grimaced. "I know."

"If not," she sighed again. "I promise I will never mention any of this again."

"Really," he droned.

She nodded at him slowly. "But Jeff, I don't…" She broke off and shook her head, trying to organize her thoughts. "I don't want you to come and then later claim it was to play tour guide or… bodyguard." His gut did that clenching thing again that always seemed to flare up around her. "If you come, I want it to be because you want to…" Annie shrugged. "To be with me."

Jeff sagged into his former position, leaning against the back of his couch. It had only been ten minutes ago that he had thought he didn't have the energy to shower and put on clothes to get drunk. If he could go make and make the decision again, he wouldn't feel like he was being pushed off a high cliff against his will. "Annie," he breathed out, hearing his own sadness. She stepped forward so she was pressed against him and shook her head. Leaning slightly upward, her lips landed against his softly. He responded immediately, bringing a hand up to cradle her head as he deepened the kiss, running purely on instinct now. Kissing was something Jeff didn't have to think too hard about in either direction. The pretty girl was kissing him, what was he going to do, ignore it? He stood back to his full height, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame. It wasn't until Annie sighed contentedly into his mouth that Jeff's brain re-engaged with the rest of his body and he broke away from her, gasping for air. She stood peering up at him, hair mussed and lips red from his mouth, just watching him. Then, without another word, she moved to the coffee table, where she deposited a plane ticket and then turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Jeff stared from the door to the coffee table and back again, sure something else was still going to happen. When he managed to count backwards from one hundred twice in rapid succession without the walls caving in on him, he glanced back over to the coffee table.

The ticket was still there.

Advantage- Edison.

Shit.


	5. Chapter 5

Floss, sunglasses, charger.

Traveler's checks, sandals, iPod.

Moisturizer, jacket, gum.

Annie recited her list over and over, a mantra she'd been repeating for the last seven hours straight. She'd been a pile of raw nerves and jitters since she'd left Jeff's the evening before and hadn't slept more than forty minutes the entire night. After returning to her own apartment, she had paced from kitchen to bedroom for twenty minutes straight, her cell phone grasped tightly in her clammy hand. She couldn't call him, she couldn't text him.

Sunscreen, tampons, push-up bra.

For some reason that she was having trouble remembering, Annie had thrown down the gauntlet. It hadn't even been intentional. She definitely hadn't meant to say that she loved him. Heck, she wasn't even sure that she did love him. But then, it had been there, coming out of her mouth. What was that thing that Lindsay Lohan called it in that movie that was awesome before she became a crack whore? Word vomit? It was just like that. She'd given him an ultimatum. Was she nuts? Clearly, yes she was. What did she think was going to happen? Did she think he would fall to his knees and thank her for the opportunity to prove his love to her?

She should have given the ticket to Britta.

Surveying her open suitcase one last time, Annie went through her mental checklist again. It was all here, it had to be. She didn't want to leave anything behind.

Except maybe her traveling companion.

Couldn't call him, couldn't text him.

Swimsuit, hat, aspirin.

She zipped the suitcase shut with a shuddery breath. It wouldn't be that hard to send him a quick text. 'JK lol. C U in 3 wks.' It was humiliating, but not as humiliating as him not showing up at the airport. If that happened, Annie would actually have to consider transferring to City College. With Simmons. And the Evil Dean.

No, she couldn't transfer. She could call Abed and have him go get the ticket. Of course, then she would have to explain how Jeff had gotten it in the first place.

Toothpaste, hair spray, wallet.

The interesting thing was this though- he had kissed her _back_. Sure, she had initiated things, just like basically everything else that had ever happened between them. But he hadn't just stood there, no he'd wrapped his arms around her, let his tongue slide against her lips. He'd let his fingers rub against her scalp. Was he just that good at kissing?

Probably.

Floss, sunglasses, charger.

Annie's hands brushed over the fabric of her luggage nostalgically. It had been a present from her father on her sixteenth birthday. He'd told her he had big plans for her and that luggage, that luggage was meant to be used and that Annie was destined to be a world traveler. She still remembered the feeling of utter possibility at the sight of them. She was meant to take the world by storm.

Her father had moved out four months later. Annie hadn't even known that her parents were having problems. Eight months after that, she'd checked into rehab alone, her meager possessions crammed into an Adidas duffel bag and everything else boxed up in a storage shed she'd rented with babysitting money. It was as far from taking the world by storm as one could conceivably get, Annie was sure. But now she was going to Italy. She was doing it. It had been a little difficult to get everything organized with her part time job at the local daycare, but she had thankfully (_sadly_) remembered she ordered a passport the year prior in a ridiculous fit of hope.

Annie took one last look around her apartment before flipping the light switch and shutting the door. For better or worse, she wouldn't be back for three weeks. She carefully carried her bags down to her beat up car and loaded them, trying very hard to ignore the obvious drug hand-off that was happening only ten feet to her right. Her phone rang just as she was climbing behind the wheel.

"Hi Shirley," she chirped.

"Hi sweetie," Shirley cooed in response. "I can't talk for long, I just wanted to tell you to have a good flight and call as soon as you land. I don't care what time it is, I want you to call me, okay?" Annie rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"Yes _mom_." She'd been going for sarcasm, but the syllable stuck strangely in her throat. Her own mother didn't even know she was leaving the country. What if this turned into one of those terrible '48 Hours' cases they showed on cable at two in the morning?

"And you'll be careful?" Shirley prompted and before Annie could answer, she heard a baby begin to wail in the background. "Could you get him, Sugar Boots?" she called and Annie giggled. "You're going to be careful, right girl?"

"I promise," Annie answered with a nod as she started her car and pulled into traffic. "No crazy hijinks. No carrying around dead bodies in order to throw a great party, no pretending to be the sausage king of Chicago."

"You think you're really cute, don't you?" Shirley remarked sharply and Annie winced.

"Sorry, I spent the last couple days with Abed watching what he called 'classic eighties movies'."

Shirley made a satisfied noise in the back of her throat. "Abed, hmmm?"

Annie furrowed her brow. "Yes, he's the one who owns all of the movies."

"Britta said that you two kissed," Shirley continued, still in her Muppet voice.

Annie rolled her eyes. Of course she did. "Really," Annie stalled.

"So, is he the one you're going to be jetting off with today?" the older woman asked, prying in the sweetest possible way.

"Um," Annie hemmed as she pulled up to a stoplight. She checked her rearview mirror and noticed for the first time a pimple forming on her nose. Perfect. "Shirley, I really don't want to-"

"No, no. I get it." Sweet Shirley was gone now. "I only hope you didn't invite Jeff, because that is something that would be unforgivable."

"Shirley-"

"No, it would not be a good idea at all. And you just know he would accept the invitation to get a free trip to Europe so he could bed as many Italian women as possible, and I just don't think that is the right decision for you to make, sweetie."

She felt a stress headache forming between her eyes. "Shirley, I have to go. I'm pulling into the airport."

"Okay," Shirley said in a dejected tone. It was clear she had several more minutes of scolding in her, but Annie just couldn't take it. "Have a wonderful time."

"I will," Annie smiled, feeling her eyes begin to mist. These people really were her family, which meant that really, her mother _did_ know she was leaving the country. "I'll bring you back something great."

"Bring _yourself _back," Shirley answered. "That will be good enough for me. Don't fall in love with that country and decide to stay there."

"Promise," Annie replied.

"Love you, pumpkin."

"Love you, too." She pressed the 'end' button on her phone as her eyes fully began to water. This was ridiculous. It wasn't like she wouldn't be able to talk to any of them whenever she wanted. Except she would have to remember the time change. Crap, which way did it go again? They were like eight hours ahead? Or was it eight hours behind?

Moisturizer, jacket, gum.

She'd read that gum helped prevent ear aches while flying. Of course, she'd had to read about it because she'd never been on a plane.

She saw one in a movie once, though.

Unthinkingly, she hit speed dial four and let it ring twice, panic rising in her chest.

"Hello?"

"I don't know what time it is in Rome!" Annie squealed into the receiver. "How can I go live there for three weeks if I don't even know what time it is!" She inhaled through her mouth loudly. "I don't know how to speak Italian!" She changed lanes, speeding up as her anxiety mounted.

"You should have given that extra ticket to Leonard then."

"Britta, this isn't funny!" The blonde exhaled on the other end of the line.

"Annie, you need to relax. Everything is going to be great."

She rolled her eyes. "Everything will not be great. I'm going to be one of those ignorant Americans that they all talk about right in front of because I won't know what they're saying!" She pulled her lower lip into her mouth and began chewing on it. "I'm turning around and going home."

"No, you're not!" Britta snapped. Annie's eyes widened in surprise. "Annie," she continued after a beat in a calmer voice, "there is no reason for you to not make this experience the most amazing one of your life. You're going to go and you're going to have a great time with- who did you give the second ticket to? Was it Garrett?"

Annie wasn't sure what exactly compelled her to do it. If she was asked three years from now, she still wouldn't know why she'd said it. But she did. "Don't be mad," she bleated.

"Annie," Britta groaned. "Why? He is such a douche!" Annie sighed. "You could do _so_ much better."

"Is that why you publicly professed your love to him and then spent the next year having sex with him?" she asked, regretting making the call. Why couldn't she have pressed speed dial five? Troy would have just looked up the time difference for her and hung up.

"None of that was real. And Jeff knows that," Britta shot back defiantly. There was a beat of silence. "Wait, so does that mean that the thing with you and Abed didn't go anywhere?"

Annie frowned. "You were right there, Britta. There was no thing with me and Abed. We kissed. Just like you kissed Troy." Britta gasped in her ear. "Yeah, he told Abed and Abed told me."

"So, there's no you and Abed," Britta noted in surprise. "We would have bet that it was going somewhere."

The car pulled into the airport parking lot and she maneuvered into a 'long term' parking spot. Belatedly, Britta's words hit her ear drum. "Wait, _who_ would have bet that it was going somewhere?"

"Me and Jeff," Britta answered distractedly. She called into the distance, "No, you ate all of it the last time you were here."

Annie's stomach tightened painfully. Jeff and Britta were not only still hanging out together alone, but they were talking about her getting together with Abed? She laid her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. Her cheek was getting hot from the phone pressed to it, but she didn't really care at the moment. "Is he there?" she asked, her voice getting small.

There was a pause that felt six hours long to Annie.

"No," Britta finally murmured. "He's not, Annie." She nodded to no one. "There is _nothing_ going on with me and Jeff, I swear to you."

That feeling of hopelessness, the one she recognized as the moment before she was supposed to take another Adderall, enveloped her. She sighed. "Me either," she muttered softly, glancing into her rearview mirror.

"Annie," Britta whimpered in a pitying voice. "Please don't be sad. Are you inside the terminal?"

"No," she answered.

"Okay," the blonde replied with authority. "Then this is what you're going to do. You're going to march into that crappy airport and stand in line for three hours with dignity." Annie chuckled. "And when it's time for your strip search, you will submit to it with your head held high." Britta paused. "Seriously though, Annie. Have the most amazing time of your life. See everything and remember everything and write things down and let it change you, okay?"

Annie nodded her head, letting the words absorb into her skin. She paused. "What if he doesn't come?" she asked in small voice.

"Then screw him!" Britta snarled in response. "All that means is he is a loser who doesn't deserve you."

Couldn't call him, couldn't text him.

"Thank you Britta," Annie said in a soft tone.

"Italy is eight hours later than we are," Britta answered in a gentle tone. Annie made a happy whimpering noise at that. "I'll see you in a few weeks, okay?" Annie nodded. "Annie?"

"Yeah," she murmured. "In a few weeks."

The call ended and Annie hauled herself out of her car. The sight of her pristine luggage in the hatch lifted her spirits again and she felt a renewed vigor wash over her. She was going to Italy! How many women her age could actually say that? Not many. She would drink coffee and go to art museums and dance with men who had stubble.

She was meant to take the world by storm.

Swimsuit, hat, aspirin.


	6. Chapter 6

He flipped a page, not reading a single word there. 'People' wanted him to know that Osama bin Ladin was still dead and that Ashton Kutcher was taking over Charlie Sheen's crappy sitcom. Whatever. The magazine might have been the worst purchase he'd ever made.

And he used to own a pair of Zubaz pants.

The tiny child in the seat next to him slid down to the floor and gave him a slobbery grin. Jeff glanced over at her mother, who was too busy texting to pay attention to the foot-tall saliva factory that was closing in on him. The little girl had springy brown curls and the biggest blue eyes he'd ever seen.

Well, maybe second-biggest.

Not shy at all, she reached over a tugged on his two hundred- dollar jeans with a chubby hand. Jeff grimaced and looked over at the girl's mom again, to no avail. "Um," he finally said in the direction of the woman. She looked up sourly before seeing her daughter.

"Lucy, don't." That was it. Back to her phone she went.

Lucy smiled up at him again, all gums and extra chins. In spite of himself, Jeff felt his lips tug upward into a smile of his own at the little girl. She gurgled in response before turning away from him to hide her face. Okay, so now he was flirting with someone who was literally still in diapers. Great.

"This is the final boarding call for flight one thirty-seven to Dallas. Flight one thirty-seven to Dallas, final boarding call." Lucy's head shot up to the sound coming over the loudspeaker before she glanced back at Jeff. He raised his eyebrows at her and she smiled widely again.

Jeff had been back and forth over this a million times in his head the past fifteen hours, he really had. He had stared at the ticket, sitting on his coffee table for a solid twenty minutes before he'd even touched it. It was definitely real. And she'd just left it for him. Implicit trust in him, when he deserved it not at all. Annie was an adult, and this was the decision she had made. She was going to Italy and she wanted him with her, so who was he to stand in her way? They would go to Rome and he would give her three perfect fairytale weeks with all the romance she wanted. He could do it. And then, when they got back he would inevitably turn back into _him_ and let her down in some way, causing them to fizzle out into something tepid and safe again in time for fall semester.

It would probably be simple.

It wasn't that Jeff didn't care about her feelings. Of course he did. And it wasn't that he didn't think she believed herself to be in love with him. She probably did think that. But Jeff was almost one hundred percent sure that she didn't really love him, _couldn't_. Loving him meant knowing all of the bad parts, the gross underneath parts that he kept so well hidden at all times, and still loving him. He knew, he _knew_ that Annie would never be able to actually do that.

Lucy moved again, unsure on her toddler legs, and stumbled forward. Jeff swooped forward on instinct, catching the small child before she fell to the linoleum floor. "Whoa," he murmured as he hands easily spanned the little girl's entire torso.

It was in that moment, with his arms full of OshKosh B'Gosh, that Annie swept into the terminal. She was pulling a suitcase on wheels and had her damn backpack on her shoulders. She looked around the terminal, seemingly lost, her eyes the size of saucers. Jeff felt something incredibly heavy settle on his chest. He glanced back down at the toddler who was still in his grasp and then back up at Annie.

He closed his eyes tightly.

Lucy squirmed slightly and Jeff's hands fell away from her, that same feeling of being pushed off a cliff present and accounted for. It felt like a bad thing to do, like a wrong thing to do to her. How could he do that to her? Her eyes looked so sad.

But he'd already decided. The magazine slid back up to cover his face easily as he reclined into his previous position, legs crossed at the ankle.

Whether or not he thought her feelings were real, _she_ did. They were real to her because she'd never experienced anything bigger. Annie was…too sweet. She didn't deserve a relationship with a pre-planned end date. She deserved better than what he could give her. Even if she didn't speak to him for six months after coming back, it was still better than getting involved with her and having it end badly. Jeff didn't want to be her ex-_anything_, he knew that for damn sure. And he couldn't go into this knowing in the end it would hurt her.

The moment she had passed the area he was sitting in, Jeff rose and moved quickly toward the door Annie had just entered through, his own luggage in tow. With a quick glance back at the still-unwatched Lucy toddling across the floor to another unwitting stranger, he left the building. He winced away from the mid-day sun as he hurried to his car, parked in the very last spot of the 'long term' parking. When he approached her car, dented and rusty, Jeff paused. She would be devastated. She would never speak to him again. She would leave the study group and it would be all his fault.

But it was Annie who had given _him _the ultimatum. She had to have considered that there was a fifty-fifty chance he would turn her down, right? Even if he had kissed her like he wanted to push her to the hardwood floors and do bad things to her. Right? He moved on in the direction of his Lexus, a suitcase in each hand. He could handle being seen as a chump who turned down a free trip to Europe. They didn't understand the situation.

But neither did he, really.

One ten minute road rage-filled car ride later, Jeff pulled into his own parking lot. He wondered idly how long Annie had probably sat in her own car the previous night, working out what to say to him, how best to convince him. That crushing sensation on his sternum gave a twitch and Jeff dropped his head against the steering wheel. It was lame to be caring this much, right?

He climbed out of the car and drug his suitcases into the building toward the elevator. An old man he didn't recognize was just getting off. "Going somewhere?" he asked Jeff amiably as he held the door open for him.

"Just getting back," Jeff lied easily.

"Trips are a nice change of pace," the old man stated matter-of-factly the moment before the doors closed and Jeff was alone again. He stared at his own reflection in the reflective metal surface of the elevator door. He looked tired. And sad.

He needed a better moisturizer.

The elevator stopped on his floor and he drug the suitcases out to the end of the hall and stopped only long enough to fit his key into the lock. When he opened the door, he was met with the sound of 'Sixteen Candles' turned up to volume setting eleven. The apartment was dark save the light from the television. Abed and Chang sat side by side on the couch, enthralled with the action on screen.

"Guys," Jeff demanded. "What is going on? Abed, what are you doing here?"

Abed paused the DVD before turning to address Jeff. "We're watching 'Sixteen Candles'. Would you believe Ben has never seen it?"

"That's crazy," Jeff mumbled as he shuffled to the kitchen to pull a beer out of the fridge. Chang was at his heel like a terrier.

"I thought you were going to Europe," he stated as he hopped up onto the kitchen counter easily.

"Get your ass off my counter," Jeff remarked and rolled his eyes when Chang didn't move. "Why would you think I was going to Europe?" he asked after he took a long pull from the bottle.

"Because you packed two giant suitcases this morning like you were going to be gone for-"

"-three weeks," Abed filled in as he joined them in the darkened kitchen. Jeff stared at Abed with narrowed eyes. Abed had managed to kiss Annie and not have it mean anything. Maybe _he_ was the one that Jeff needed to be taught by.

"Yeah, three weeks." Chang picked up Jeff's oversized jar of protein powder and began tossing it from hand to hand. "And you took your passport."

Jeff frowned. "How did you know I- stop going through my stuff!" he shouted and Chang dropped the jar to hold up his hands in a defensive manner.

"I didn't mean to," Chang reasoned. "I was looking for the TV Guide."

"In my nightstand?" Jeff countered angrily.

"Also," Ben continued, "there was that plane ticket that was sitting _on_ your nightstand last night."

Jeff finished the beer and grabbed another from the fridge. "Just out of curiosity, how many hours a night do you spend watching me sleep?" he asked after he drank down half of the second beer.

"It's calming," Chang defended. "I had a bad shift last night."

Jeff let out a frustrated groan. "You have to get out of my apartment."

"But I haven't fully Chang-ed your life yet."

"God!" Jeff stalked past an engrossed Abed and moved toward his bedroom. "I'm going to bed. Wake me up in the fall."

"So, you didn't go to Italy with Annie," he noted from behind Jeff. "Interesting."

"Yeah?" Jeff snapped as he turned to face the thin man. "Why is that, Abed?"

"Because you wanted to." He cocked his head to the side and Jeff got the sensation of him trying to use some sort of mind-reading technique on him. What was that thing in Harry Potter called?

"Legilimancy," Abed said quietly and Jeff thought about beating his head against a wall.

"Nice seeing you today, Abed." Jeff spun back around and headed to the bedroom. "And I'm locking my door, Ben!"

"Like that could stop me if I wanted in, Winger!"

Jeff locked the door and dropped onto the bed with a dull thud. Reaching into the drawer of his nightstand, he pulled out a bottle of Excedrin PM and popped three gel caps into his mouth before washing them down with the rest of his beer and placing the empty bottle on the nightstand. He purposely left his mind as blank as he could while he drifted off.

He definitely didn't think about Annie's naked body.

He definitely hadn't thought about that at all in the last week.

His phone beeped an unknown amount of time later and Jeff cracked an eye open. He'd gotten up to pee three times and had eaten a bowl of Raisin Bran at about eleven last night, but hadn't checked his phone once since he'd gotten home. Pulling it out of the jeans he'd left in a pile on the floor, he read the screen.

Text from Annie.

His fingers were shaking to a stupid degree when he opened it.

'Landed -safe & sound. Everything is beautiful. Will send pics soon. Love you!'

He rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand and checked the screen again. She must have sent a text to the whole group. There was no way she had meant to text him that message. Unless she was proving to him that she didn't care.

'Safe and sound.'

Jeff saved the message before rolling over and going back to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Annie opened one eye, squinting into the brightly lit room. She groaned and turned over, burying her head under her pillow. Any minute, the seven o'clock special would be announced and the heavy bass of the store's sound system would be making her floor shake. She inhaled, the sheets smelling fresh and-

Wait.

She sat bolt upright, spinning entirely around before settling back against the large mattress on which she had been sleeping. This was definitely not her room. As if recovering from a bout of amnesia, everything came rushing back to Annie, knocking the air out of her lungs momentarily. The hellish delay at the airport, the woman who had been seated on one side of her for the whole flight and wanted to discuss her entire life story.

The fact that the seat on the other side of her had been heartbreakingly empty.

It wasn't that she was necessarily surprised. It was Jeff after all. Jeff, who didn't even want to put their relationship into real terms in a deserted public restroom six months prior. The idea that he would turn a one-eighty and hop on a plane with her for a trip to what is considered one of the most romantic places on the planet seemed unlikely at best and completely delusional at worst.

Pushing the negative thoughts to the back of her brain, Annie smiled into the bright silence and inhaled deeply. She had barely been conscious when she'd arrived at the house the previous night. Well, house didn't seem like the right word for what she'd been faced with after giving the cab driver the address Pierce had written out for her. Mansion maybe. Possibly castle. Villa, that's what they were called. Springing out of bed, Annie hurried to the latched patio doors that led to the private balcony off of her bedroom. What she saw took her breath away.

Directly below, a large pool adorned with a marble statue of a nude man (of course) sprawled out, a fountain at its center. She could see part of a tennis court as well. Beyond the amenities, there appeared neat lines of grape vines extending three hundred yards at least. The vineyard gave way to rolling fields. Two other villas were visible, each as ornate and classical-looking as she had remembered this one being from a distance. Squealing, Annie spun on the spot and raced out of her room and down the hallway. She passed by at least six other bedrooms, presumably each with their own bathroom as hers was. When she reached the grand staircase that she'd trudged up the night before, Annie felt her heartbeat pick up. This couldn't actually be real, could it? As elegantly as she could, Annie descended, holding her head high and practicing the speed of her steps. She'd seen women do this in movies countless times. Of course, they were usually wearing more than an oversized 'Uncle Rusty's' tee shirt and a pair of tube socks. When Annie reached the marble floor at the base of the staircase, her feet slid slightly and she made a mental note to re-create that Tom Cruise thing later, if only so she could tell Abed that she had.

Her phone, discarded the night before after her hasty text to the entire study group, beeped from the large table in the foyer. Picking it up, Annie noticed five new messages. She hopped from one foot to the other in excitement as she read them. Shirley loved her and couldn't wait to see pictures soon. Abed thought she should recreate the underwear dance from 'Risky Business'. Annie chuckled out loud. Troy wanted a Massarati. Of course he did. Britta wanted her to have sex with several strangers. Annie shook off the unpleasant idea that Britta now knew that Jeff wasn't with her.

The main floor was breathtaking, each room seeming bigger than the last. She was surrounded by high ceilings and dark wood. By the time she reached the kitchen, she was hopping up and down. Immense granite countertops and gleaming appliances stared back at her. There was set of doors that led out to a stone patio that was surrounded by what appeared to be wild flowers.

It started as a tickle in her belly, working its way up her torso as it fed off of her complete and utter…_happiness_. She was sure that was the feeling. Annie couldn't remember ever having felt this particular thing. By the time it reached her heart, it exploded and Annie was giggling and dancing and spazzing out to full effect.

So of course that was when she turned and came face to face with two strangers standing in Pierce's kitchen, each wearing looks of surprise and intrigue. "Um," Annie blushed as she tugged at the short hemline of her shirt, which the man had noticed. The woman gave him a light smack on the forearm and he cleared his throat. "Hi." She waved awkwardly toward them with one raise hand. Scrunching up her face, she tried valiantly to remember any of the Italian phrases she'd been cramming into her head in the last week. "Saluto," she tried again. "Mio…Ill mio nom-"

"We're American, dear." Annie smiled in relief. The woman returned it in a way that didn't really seem like a smile. "I'm Camilla and this is Kevin." She gestured toward the man, who gave a half-smile in response. "We live next door," she explained and Annie nodded. "We're nosy and just had to see who it was that had shown up here yesterday." She pulled her sunglasses off with a flourish and narrowed her eyes. "We were hoping it wasn't Pierce."

"Are you the new wife?" the man asked, his eyebrows dancing. Annie almost chuckled at the thought before realizing how incredibly disturbing it really was.

"No," she answered more emphatically that she probably needed to. "We're just…we go to school together." The woman's face cleared. "I- Pierce…this was my birthday present," she tried to explain.

"He gave you a trip to Italy for your birthday?" the man asked, bemused. "Then he expects for you to be a wife at some point."

Annie's face must have shown her feelings about the idea, because in the next instant, Camilla was elbowing him. "Way to scare her." She turned her attention back onto Annie and the brunette felt as if she actually _was_ naked. "So, what's your name dear?" Camilla was the most beautiful woman Annie had ever seen close up. Her skin was flawless, her hair perfectly swept up in a twist. Her clothes even _smelled_ expensive. It was several moments before Annie realized she'd been asked a question.

"Annie?" she answered dutifully, biting her lip.

"Are you sure?" Kevin asked, chuckling.

Camilla ignored him, moving closer to Annie, who felt her breath catch in her throat. "And did you come alone, Annie?" Annie faltered, her eyes falling to the floor for a moment before meeting the older woman's eyes again and nodding silently. Camilla turned her head back to address Kevin. "A young girl in Italy all by herself." Then her eyes hardened. "You leave her alone." Kevin rolled his eyes at the woman before he moved forward to shake Annie's hand.

"Kevin Tompkins," he introduced himself. "And this is my wife, Camilla." He looked sideways at Camilla. "You'll have to excuse her, but she thinks everything is her business. And Pierce gave us a key to the house."

Camilla looked over at her husband before turning all of her attention back on Annie, studying her very closely. Annie felt her stomach knot up. So, strange people show up at Pierce's house while she was dancing around in her underwear and she was supposed to just go along with it?

"We just wanted to drop by and welcome you to the neighborhood," Camilla stated.

"We'll call first next time to let you get pants on," Kevin added with a smirk. Annie tried to hide her grimace.

Camilla glared at her husband. "You're grossing her out."

Annie heard her cell phone ring from the foyer where she'd left it the previous night and sprinted past them. She grasped it tightly in her hand and glanced at the readout screen. Pierce.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Annie," he answered. "Pierce Hawthorne here."

Annie chuckled. "Yeah, I know Pierce. I have caller ID." She wrinkled her nose. "What time is it there?"

Camilla swept through the foyer. "I have to go into town this afternoon," she announced, effectively interrupting Annie's conversation. "You are welcome to join me of course, dear." She raised her eyebrows expectantly at Annie.

"Um," Annie stuttered. "I- yes, that would be great. I guess." She forced a smile out toward the cipher of a woman who had somehow just forced her way into Annie's Perfect Vacation. With a cool smile, Camilla led Kevin out the front door with nary a glance backwards. "Pierce, are you still there?" she asked belatedly.

"Yes," he replied. "Who was that?"

"Your neighbors, I guess." Annie shrugged even though Pierce couldn't see her.

"Oh, those assholes," he replied flatly and Annie pursed her lips. "She's the one with the money there, so don't go for him thinking you'll be able to get to the fortune."

Annie rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Pierce."

"Her father owns Nabisco," Pierce went on conversationally as Annie wandered back through his huge house. Her eyebrows went up.

"Nabisco?" she questioned.

"Yes, they make crackers. Now listen…" Annie paused, waiting for him to speak again. "I pride myself on being fairly lovable, despite what your friends in the study group think of me."

"Pierce," Annie argued gently. "Everyone wants you to come _back_ to the study group."

"And yet you're the only one who came to me and asked."

Annie frowned. "Pierce, are you saying that if everyone had been with me, you would have given everyone a trip?"

"What?" he asked distractedly. "No, of course not." Annie grimaced. She really hoped he was telling the truth. "But, I know that to have the vacation of a lifetime, you need some uh…some spending money." She bit her lip. Pierce better than anyone knew about her living situation, or lack thereof.

"Yeah, Pierce-"

"Which is why I've supplied you with some," he continued over the top of her and Annie stopped. Stopped moving, stopped breathing, just stopped.

"What?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"You may have noticed that for a house I haven't been to in several years, it seems to be very well maintained," he said, his own ego almost drowning out the actual words he was saying. Annie smiled.

"I had, yes. Pierce, the house is gorgeous."

"Yes, well. I have very good…uh taste." She shook her head. How was it possible that she was missing _him_ already? Him of all people? "Now, I have a maid that comes in to keep the property up while I'm gone. Her name is…I don't know, something foreign." Okay, maybe she didn't miss him that much. "You will see a vase of fresh flowers on the table in the dining room," he said. "Next to the vase is an envelope."

Annie's feet were moving forward quickly, still slipping against the floor. Sure enough, there on the dining room table was an envelope. With trembling fingers, she opened it and her eyes widened. She had to be holding two thousand Euro. "Pierce," she gasped, her voice audibly shaking.

"Happy birthday, Annie." She looked down at the handful of money she was holding in her small hands before her eyes lifted again to take in her surroundings.

"Pierce," she started, trying to get a hold of her own vocal chords. "I…I don't know how to-"

"You want to know what my angle is," he interrupted her shortly.

She deflated. "Well, it just seems like a lot for my birthday, which isn't for months yet."

"You spend too much time with Jeff Winger," Pierce said, an edge creeping into his voice. "It would be just like him to question my motives for doing something nice." There was a pause. "Or did he already plant that idea in your head?"

"Maybe?" Annie stammered before wincing at the sputter of indignation that he made on the other end of the call. "I'm sorry," she immediately apologized, one hand coming up to press against her forehead. "You're right, Jeff is just a cynical…poop."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Right," he finally said. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that you are welcome to anything in the house, including the wine cellar." Annie glanced around confusedly. "It's next the dining room. There is a door hidden behind the bookcase." She smiled and moved forward.

"Okay?" she prompted.

"Yeah," Pierce went on. "You have to pull out 'The Joy Of Sex' and the door bookcase will slide out of the way." She rolled her eyes as she scanned the shelves. Of course he would choose that book. At least that meant it wasn't a real copy of it. She tipped the spine of the book forward and sure enough, the bookcase slid to the side, revealing a metal door that was covered with a keypad.

"This is all for your wine cellar?" she asked unsurely. If she was about to happen upon a plutonium supply or a walk in freezer full of cocktail waitresses, she'd rather not keep going.

"It's really good wine," Pierce defended. "I made it myself." Annie knew better than to question anything at this point. "Okay, now the password is 'moisttowlette'. One word." Carefully, she pressed the letters into the keypad and the door unlocked with a loud 'click'. She tugged at the heavy door and stepped inside the chilly room. Racks and racks of wine bottles lined the walls, each covered with a label that bore Pierce's face.

"Wow," she said, eyes moving up and down the rows. "This is really amazing."

"That's not all," he continued. Annie pulled a bottle from the rack closest to her. His smiling face stared back at her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, finally paying attention to the words that were coming through her phone.

"I'm having another present delivered to the house today for you," Pierce explained. Annie set the wine bottle back on the shelf, her hands feeling numb suddenly.

"Pierce," she said slowly. "What are you talking about?"

"It actually should be there about now."

As if he had been taking classes with Abed, the doorbell rang only a second later. Annie's eyes widened. "Pierce," Annie said again.

"Happy birthday," he said a moment before the line went dead.

She moved toward the front door, her entire body winding up to a ridiculous level. What had he done? In a universe where he'd sent her to Italy for three weeks and given her roughly three thousand dollars cash of his own money to spend, it could be anything on the other side of the door.

Or anyone.

She skidded to a stop. What if it was an 'anyone'? What if the reason Jeff hadn't been on the plane was that it was supposed to be a surprise for her when he showed up later? Her stomach twisted at the very idea, and a moment later Annie cursed herself for getting so excited by it. It wasn't Jeff, it was probably a flower delivery. Or another crazy neighbor who was just popping in to snoop.

It was definitely not Jeff.

Stealing herself, she flung the door open and her jaw dropped.

Annie had been right. It was definitely not Jeff.

It was Rich.


	8. Chapter 8

"Ha!" Britta yelped as she hit her target. "Take that, you computer-animated…duck."

Jeff glowered at her out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, you really showed him who was boss."

"Crap, what time is it?" she asked a minute later. "There's something on C-SPAN at three that I want to watch."

He gave her a look of disgust. "Britta, people don't actually watch C-SPAN, you know." He took the plastic gun from her grasp. "It's just one of those channels that the cable company can list to make it seem like they're giving people a lot of options." He pointed the gun at the screen and began to shoot. "Like the Home Shopping Network or that channel that always has bass fishing on."

"It's our government, you douche." She elbowed him hard in the ribs, causing him to misfire. He shot her a glare.

"Knock it off," he said in a dark tone.

They continued to play, acknowledging good shots on a game that was made four teen year-olds. "Hey," she said several minutes later. "I need to ask you a lawyer question."

He turned surprised eyes on her. "Okay, what's up?"

"How feasible is it to put my cats in my will?" she asked with no sense of irony before taking out two ducks in rapid succession. Jeff stared at her blankly before clamping his mouth shut in an attempt to keep from outright laughing at her. "What?" Britta asked when she finally noticed his face turning red in the dim light of her apartment.

"Britta, how many cats have you outlived?" he asked.

She shrugged. "There's no telling when any one of us is going to go you know, Jeff." She shot him a significant glance that he frowned at.

"Oh…kay?" he replied unsurely. "The point is that this is nuts. And I think I tend to indulge your insanity, for the most part." She rolled her eyes at him. "But you can't leave your possessions to a couple cats."

"My cats are my life," she defended aggressively.

"I can smell that," Jeff shot back with a grimace. She glared at him. "You do realize that this seems completely crazy, right?"

"Why?" she demanded. "They're my family."

"Britta, do you remember that lady who owned the hotel?" He raised his eyebrows. "The one who died and left like ten million dollars to her dog? Do you remember how people thought she'd lost her mind?" She frowned at him. "And you don't even have any money to secure their well-being. Seriously, what do you have that you can offer these cats?"

"You're the worst," Britta said sourly.

"I'm speaking as your lawyer now," Jeff stated, turning toward her more fully on the battered couch. He laid a hand on her thigh, which she batted away immediately. "You have to _have _things before you can start _leaving_ things to your cats."

"Seriously, why are you acting like this?" she groused.

"Like what?" Jeff asked without caring.

"Like a tool."

"Am I?" he asked, giving his face a practiced look of disinterest. He let the plastic gun be pulled from his hand as she took her turn. He stared at the television screen, but wasn't really seeing it. He had hoped that his worse-than-normal attitude had gone unnoticed by her. It was true, he had been a tool lately, he'd known it, Chang definitely knew it. Even the poor woman at Starbucks the previous morning had known it. She had probably spit in his non-fat latte, actually.

He knew he was right. It wasn't that. He had definitely made a good decision. He just wished he could have explained it to Annie instead of having things happen the way they did. He'd tried so hard to stay away, to keep himself at arm's length from her. He couldn't remember ever having even encouraged the attention from her in the first place. Well, except for the times when he'd kissed her like he was trying to taste her organs. Or that moment they'd had in Abed's giant blanket fort. Or the way he knew he'd looked at her in the supply closet after she'd embarrassed him in front of the entire student body with his 'Real World' audition tape. He had no consulting work to do for the time being, which meant that all Jeff had had to do for the last two days was think about it. Which was exhausting, because it all ended the same way it began. Sure, he felt bad.

But it was the right thing to do.

"So," Britta started slowly as before cursing at a duck that she missed. He glanced over at her blankly. "Italy."

He closed his eyes, stilling. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could teleport out of her apartment. She shifted next to him on her garage sale sofa. Nope, he was still there. "Where did you hear that?"

Britta paused. "Abed told Troy and Troy told me." His eyes opened and he turned to face her, ready for a fight. However, she was simply watching him, her expression open.

He narrowed his eyes, waiting for her to say something. She just stared though. He clenched his jaw to the point of dull pain in the back of his mouth. "What?" he finally asked in a brittle tone.

Britta shrugged. "Nothing," she answered.

He rolled his eyes. "Then why did you bring it up?"

"I just got the impression that you might want to talk about it?" she explained. She turned her attention back to the television set. She stood and flipped the Nintendo power off before picking up the remote and switching the channel to C-SPAN. Jeff watched her suspiciously out of the corner of his eye. She didn't seem to have a hidden agenda. Britta didn't really have agendas, and even when she did, nothing ever turned out in her favor. He leaned forward and pulled his beer bottle off of the scarred coffee table before glancing at the label and then back at the blonde next to him.

"Who are you seeing?" he asked, watching her face carefully.

Britta didn't take her eyes off the television. "What makes you think I'm seeing someone?" she asked.

"You don't drink beer," Jeff pointed out, gesturing toward her with his bottle. "And there is a package of hot dogs in your fridge." He took another sip. "Lawyer," he continued with a smirk.

"Hardly," Britta shot back and Jeff's self-satisfied smile slid off of his face.

"So, do I know him?" he asked, ignoring her bait.

Britta glared toward him for a moment. "None of your business," she replied.

"That means yes," Jeff guessed with a grin. "Is it Starburns?" he asked.

"I'm not talking to you about this," Britta stated, jerking her head upward in a haughty gesture. Jeff snickered at her. After a moment, Britta glanced over at him with a tiny empathetic smile. It caused a slight twist in Jeff's gut. They stared at each other, playing a silent game of chicken for a full minute.

Jeff sighed finally. "You don't understand," he defended quietly. "She wanted me to come as her…lover." His voice stuck on the word, running his tongue over it as if it was a word he'd never uttered before. Britta nodded understandingly. "I mean, it was a terrible idea." He frowned as he picked at his sweaty beer label.

"I know," she agreed. "That's what _I _told her."

Jeff swallowed over the sudden lump in his throat. "Um…" He pushed his face into an expression that he hoped said 'casual'. "What? When did you talk to her?"

Her eyes moved back to the screen as she switched the channel over to 'Hoarders'. "She called me."

"What?" Jeff asked with a furrowed brow. "When?" Britta had talked to Annie and was only mentioning it now?

"She called me from the airport," she answered distractedly.

He told himself to breathe. "What did she say?"

"She was freaking out about not knowing the time difference," Britta replied. She looked over at him pointedly. "Oh, and the thing about going to a strange country by herself." Jeff was dutifully ignoring the uncomfortable sensation in his stomach now, which if he catalogued it would probably fit under the heading of 'guilt'. Britta's eyes changed, softening toward him. "_I_ think you made the right call."

Then why did it feel wrong?

"Really," Jeff said flatly, aiming for apathy.

"Sure," Britta answered. "Free trip to Italy? Those come along all the time."

His eyes widened. "You seriously think it would have been a good idea for me to go with her?"

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told her the other day," Britta replied. "I think she can do way better than you."

"It was a terrible idea," he continued to make his case. "We would have ruined the friendship."

She chuckled. "We were sleeping together for how many months? It didn't ruin _our_ friendship."

"Yeah." Jeff could feel a headache forming at the front of his brain. "In case you hadn't already noticed Britta, you and Annie are not wired the same."

She fully turned to face him, her knee resting against his hip. "Do you have feelings for her?"

"No," he answered quickly. Too quickly. Her eyes narrowed. "It's not that simple."

"Were you…were you leading her on all year while hooking up with me?" Britta persisted and Jeff winced at her accusatory tone. "Dude."

"This isn't any of your business," Jeff pointed out with a frown. She just stared at him. "Okay, I may have embellished when I said that she was reading into things."

"Really," she replied in a monotone.

"But we cleared that up," he continued.

Britta nodded. "And then she asked you to go to Europe."

"Yes," Jeff agreed.

"Do you like Annie?"

He shot her an incredulous look. "Of course I do. Everyone likes Annie."

She raised one eyebrow. "Are you attracted to her?"

Jeff rolled his eyes. "_Everyone_ is attracted to Annie." He rolled the slowly warming bottle between his palms. It was true, he couldn't imagine anyone finding her unattractive. It wasn't a matter of opinion when it came to Annie. She was beautiful, it was as easy as that.

"That's a yes.," she echoed him gleefully.

He threw his head back against her couch, staring up at the textured ceiling. He didn't get it. Why were they talking about this in the first place? "What the hell, Britta?" he spit out. He put his empty bottle back on the coffee table and rose from the couch and turned to face her, a glare on his face. "Annie and I would not be able to…" Jeff crossed his arms over his chest. "Ugh." He moved toward her door. "I'm going."

"Hey," Britta said as she rose to follow him. "I'm not trying to piss you off."

"Really," he turned, advancing on her heatedly. "Then why did you bring this up in the first place?"

"You want to know why I think you're angry?" Britta shot him a challenging look. "I think you _wanted _to go and now you're trying to convince yourself that you made the right decision by staying to make yourself feel better for your own crippling insecurity."

"Stop giving me a psych evaluation!" he shouted in her face. He balled his hands into fists at his sides before turning and stalking out of her apartment, slamming the door behind himself. She was so infuriating. Why did she have to be like that? He stomped to his car, feeling the massive headache wrap itself completely around his brain.

What was he supposed to have done? Gone to Italy with the hot twenty year-old? Had crazy sex with her in any number of foreign locales? On paper, that was the best idea anyone had ever had. But when you add in the fact that Annie was one of his best friends and had already told him that she loved him, that made things way messier, didn't it? Why were Abed and Britta making it seem like he was a jerk for _not_ taking advantage of Annie?

He climbed into his Lexus and threw it into drive, speeding down the street without really knowing where he was going. He wanted to just…drive. He wanted to get away from everyone, from himself. He needed a vacation from his own subconscious. Did he wish he'd gone? He…

Jeff moved into third gear and shot forward even faster. There was an anger growing inside of him, an anger that he'd been ignoring for a long time. He squinted into the sun as he flipped a u-turn and drove down the street in the direction from which he'd just come. He had two options. He could either swallow it down, beat it back into submission, or he could actually act on it. He was choosing option number two.

And he knew exactly who was going to get the brunt of it.

The rational part of his brain, blinded by rage and anxiety and pain, rolled over and played dead as he pulled to the curb and got back out of his car. He stomped to the door, sure he looked like Frankenstein's monster to the small boy who rode by on his bike.

Jeff didn't care. It was the healthiest he'd felt in a long time and for once, he wasn't going to let appearances make him a pussy. He raised his fist to the door and gave a loud knock, waiting impatiently for it to open. He glared back down the street at the kid who was still watching him.

The door finally opened.

He moved forward, his chest tight.

"We need to talk."


	9. Chapter 9

"And this is the tennis court," she finished with a sweep of her arm.

"Wow," Rich responded, his eyes widening. "This place, it is really great." He grinned at her and Annie felt something wake up in her stomach.

She smiled back at him, hoping against hope that her cheeks weren't coloring. "It's amazing." She tucked a strand of hair nervously behind her ear, uncertain of how to continue the conversation. "So, I…I can't believe you're here, Rich."

It had been a shock, to say the least, to open a door halfway around the world and have Rich be on the other side of it. She'd rushed forward in elation and surprise and thrown her arms around him before remembering that she literally had just answered the door without pants. Belatedly, Annie had pulled away from him sheepishly and just mentioned it was such a surprise to see him there. She'd ushered him upstairs to drop his bags while she put on real clothes before leading him on the grand tour of the house, of which she'd only just become acquainted.

"Well, me neither." He took in the acreage for a moment before meeting her eye again, as open and kind as ever. "But when Pierce offered me a free trip, how could I refuse?" He shrugged his shoulders before crossing his arms over his toned chest. "This place is just really something, isn't it?"

Annie frowned, feeling a chilly trickle of uneasiness roll down her spine. "So, Pierce just called you and offered you a trip?"

Rich nodded his head. "Yeah, he said he felt badly about how everything worked out with me joining your study group earlier this year and he wanted to make it up to me." He pointed. "Is that really a vineyard?"

"Yeah," she answered distractedly. "So, he just did this out of the blue?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "Kind of like you I guess, huh?"

Annie's next sentence evaporated. What was Pierce doing exactly? She couldn't wrap her head around it. Had he really sent Rich to apologize to him for Jeff's shenanigans earlier in the semester? It didn't seem very Pierce-like to take the blame for someone else, but nothing else really made sense. Unless…He _did _know about Annie's crush on Rich. It hadn't been that secretive. Maybe Pierce didn't know why she wasn't dating Rich and assumed it had something to do with him losing the election.

"I have to say," he went on as if he wasn't aware she was in the middle of an inner monologue. "I'm really surprised to see you, too." Annie's eyebrows shot up. "Pierce…never mentioned that you would also be here."

She bit her lip. "Yeah, he…wouldn't have."

"Why's that?"

She cringed. "What if…I mean, I'm pretty sure this is a setup." When Rich's eyes widened in surprise, Annie looked away, ever so slightly crestfallen.

"Annie," he started. "I…wow. I really did mean what I said in-"

She was already waving him off, desperate to not have to listen to his rejection again. "I am just as surprised as you are," she assured him. "I just spent the last two years kind of understanding Pierce's…brain." She shook her head. "I'm really sorry that…." Annie trailed off, not exactly sure what she was apologizing for.

"Annie," Rich smiled warmly. "You are a very sweet girl." She swallowed down a grimace. "And of _course_ I believe that you were in the dark about this. That Pierce sure is a character."

"Yeah," she added miserably. She had actually thought that Pierce was being sweet to her, that he had meant it when he said she was his favorite. She'd never been anyone's favorite anything. Two strong hands landed on her shoulders and Annie met Rich's eyes. Had they always been that clear and blue and perfect? Of course they had. Everything about him was perfect. "Annie, I think we get along really well." She felt herself nod. He dropped his hands from her body and she stepped ever so slightly toward him, chasing the physical connection. "So I say we have the best vacation in the _world_ and we won't let Pierce upset us, okay?" Annie bit her lip but nodded again. He glanced back into the house. Pierce had at best sent Rich to give her another chance with him and at worst had done it just so her vacation would be excruciating. It was a lot of work to go through for her either way. He was definitely good at testing people, that was sure.

"Annie?" Shaking herself, she met Rich's gaze and automatically smiled at him. "I was just saying that I am going to settle in upstairs. You'll be okay by yourself?"

She breathed out a light chuckle. "Yeah," she assured him. "I'll be fine by myself." The words echoed through her head and she stilled for a moment before heaving a sigh. She really had to stop thinking about how everything in existence related back to her own sad love life. Jeff had rejected her, yes. There was no wiggle room there. He definitely had. But that was that, and she'd said they were still friends and she wouldn't ever mention it again, so her feelings for him were currently very much a back burner type of thing.

Right now, she needed to worry about Rich and the implications of him showing up at her door in Italy. Her fingers itched to call Pierce right now, wake him from a sound sleep and demand an explanation for why the most perfect doctor in the world, the man who had rebuffed her only five months ago, was currently walking back into her perfect vacation mansion to go hang his shirts up in the closet according to color.

Just like she had.

Annie mindlessly wandered past the pool and slowly toward the front of the house. The back of the house, everything around the patio was peppered with weeds and wildflowers, charmingly natural. But the closer she got to the front of the immense lot, the cleaner the grass became, almost perfectly manicured. She idly wondered if Pierce really kept a full staff on at the house all year without ever actually coming to the country.

Did she actually still have feelings for Rich? Had she ever? Annie couldn't even remember anything that had happened before she got on the plane. Maybe her life wasn't even real before that very morning when she'd woken up in Europe. She'd woken up in Europe and a man had literally been sent to her doorstep. A perfect man. She should be blushing and fretting a lot more. Maybe Jeff had managed to deaden all of her non-essential senses.

That wasn't overly dramatic at all. Annie rolled her eyes at her own thoughts. She wasn't Catherine Earnshaw. Even if she was, there was literally no Heathcliff. Instead, everywhere she turned, guys couldn't wait to tell her how much they weren't going to fall in love with her and could they please prove that to her?

She glanced down the road to what she assumed was the west. Kevin was standing at the end of his long driveway, hosing his sports car off. When he noticed her, he raised a hand and waved her over. She was being beckoned to a stranger's house by a creep who had been staring at her legs only an hour ago. Weighing her options, Annie smiled at him and made her way over to the adjacent property.

"Hey," he greeted her when she finally reached him. He quirked an eyebrow at her before turning his attention back to his thirty-thousand dollar car. "I see you found clothes."

She smiled uneasily at him before glancing up at the house. "Your home is beautiful."

He looked back over his shoulder at it and shrugged. "Camilla is in there, making mimosas if you want to head in." She furrowed her brow at him and he chuckled. "It's okay." He turned to face her more fully, letting the hose slip slightly between his fingers. "She's quite intrigued by you. I'm worried you might be her new project."

Annie glanced back at the house before slowly making her way to the front door. The short walkway to the front archway was made of one giant piece of granite, which meant Annie was standing on something that cost more than she would ever earn in her entire lifetime.

How rich _was _Pierce anyway?

She knocked on the door before pushing it open and stepping into the surprisingly chilly foyer for the sweltering May weather outside. Or maybe because of it. Annie found herself wandering through a two-story living room. Where Pierce's home was old charm and architecture, this one was like walking into the twenty-third century. Modern paintings hung on the walls next to the biggest flat screen television Annie had ever seen.

"Hello?" she called out, rubbing her bare arms as she continued to move through the house.

"In here princess," she heard a woman answer. "I was wondering how long it would be before you found your way over here." Annie stepped into the open kitchen area, where Camilla was seated at the island, sipping from a coffee mug. Behind the counter was the most beautiful man Annie had ever seen. He was small of stature and had skin the color of caramel. He smiled at her and she was hit with an overload on handsome, cheekbones and dimples and white teeth all coming at her at once. She knew without stepping closer to him that he would smell very good.

"Ann," Camilla stated in a slightly slurred tone. "This is Sergio." Her finger swung around to the man who was currently coming toward Annie with a hand outstretched.

"Buona matina," he murmured, clasping her small hand in his muscled one. Annie smiled shyly at him.

"I told you she was pretty," Camilla noted from behind him and he smiled at Annie.

"You did not lie," he answered in accented English. Annie felt her stomach heat up and silently tried to tamp it down desperately. She absolutely could not turn into a simpering teenager right now.

But he did smell really good.

"Sergio is our chef," Camilla explained as she approached them. "We actually share him with Pierce when he's here though, which means that Sergio is _your _chef as well." She settled just behind Sergio's left shoulder and shot Annie a meaningful look. Annie turned a wavering smile on Sergio, who grinned back playfully.

"Oh," was all she could squeak out of her tight throat.

Camilla turned her head and spoke right into Sergio's ear. "We can share him."

Annie was heartened to see Sergio grimace ever so slightly before facing Camilla with a grin. "How could I get so lucky?" he asked.

"And now," Camilla announced as she stepped forward and linked her arm through Annie's. "We are going to be heading back over to Hawthorne Manor." Her voice dripped with contempt. "Where young Annie and I will be readying ourselves for a full day of shopping." She turned to address Annie. "I just love a makeover." Annie glanced down at her own clothes, feeling more and more like a second-grader by the second. Did she need a makeover?

"You are a very beautiful girl," Sergio said in a quiet reassuring tone, as if reading her mind. She exhaled quickly before blushing profusely. She should say something witty in response. Before her brain could move past that thought, she was already being pulled out the back door by the blonde woman. They stepped together down the patio steps and practically right into Pierce's backyard. Camilla was barely out of Sergio's earshot before she began speaking about him in hushed tones.

"He also works part time as a personal trainer for people in the area," she confided. "He speaks four languages." Annie listened silently as Camilla listed out his attributes as if reciting his resume. He has done modeling, couldn't you tell from those cheekbones and Camilla had been in Italy enough times to know that they don't all look like that because a lot of them are chubby with mustaches. Annie nodded along. Did she mention that he loves to sail and wants a big family?

The veracity at which this stranger was throwing Annie toward yet _another _stranger was disorienting to say the least. She stopped at the edge of the tennis court and turned to Camilla. "I really appreciate what you're trying to do," she said as genuinely as she could. "But I am actually trying to…" She swallowed and only allowed the next words to escape as a whisper. "..to _get over _someone right now, so I'm really not ready to-"

She was cut off by the expression on Camilla face. Annie turned to look the direction that Camilla was currently staring just as Rich stepped out into the bright Italian sunlight in his swimming trunks. He smiled in recognition and jogged over to them with a wave. "Hello," he greeted Camilla warmly. "Are you the neighbor?"

"Yes," Camilla answered smoothly before conjuring her giant sunglasses back to her face. "And you are?"

"Rich," he stated as he put a hand to his own well-defined chest. "I'm a friend of Annie's."

The older woman turned to face Annie haughtily. "Really."

Annie heard her phone chirp from her pocket and pulled it out gratefully as she stepped away from the other two. "Troy, isn't it like three in the morning there?" she greeted him.

"About that, yeah. Listen, do you have a video camera?" he asked, sounding slightly slurred.

Annie paused. "I have one on my phone?" she said unsurely.

There was a muffled conversation on his end before Troy was back again. "Yeah, awesome. Abed or I will be in touch to let you know what your task is."

"Troy," Annie chuckled. "Are you drunk? What's going on?"

"Abed and I decided to start a 'Spiderman' marathon at midnight, but it's hard to get through the third one sober." He was talking very quickly, his words all muddling together. "So he thought it would be a good idea to get some no no juice and then film ourselves watching them." Troy paused. "I don't think I'm going to make it through the third one though."

"You have to," Annie stated. "Otherwise, you won't see the disco dancing."

"Is it awesome there?" he asked. "What is going on?"

There was no way Annie could describe what was actually going on, especially not to Troy while he was drunk in Abed's dorm room. It was like she was in an alternate reality. Had she fallen down the rabbit hole? What answer could she possibly give him? She glanced up at the house that towered over her, to the stranger who wanted to adopt and make her a real woman.

"It's awesome."


	10. Chapter 10

Jeff looked up from the table he was sitting at to the woman standing over him.

"You feel better now?" she asked as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He nodded down into his lap and a moment later felt her palm connect with the back of his head.

"Ow! Shirley!" he winced away from her slightly.

She narrowed her eyes in response. "You ever raise your voice like that to me again, you'll be getting worse than that." She pointed a menacing finger at him before stepping back around her kitchen island and beginning to clean up the mess they'd left behind from their impromptu cookie dough making session. "Now, would you like to try again in a more civilized manner?"

Jeff frowned down at the nearly-empty bowl on the table in front of him. He couldn't even remember what he'd said. "Not really," he finally said quietly. Was that what people called a rage black out? Thankfully, he'd made Shirley his target. She definitely knew how to handle him.

"Because you had a pretty nice little rant there," Shirley went on as she began to put things back into her cupboard. "But I didn't really get much out of it."

"Did it make sense?" Jeff asked as he rose from his seat and approached her with the bowl clasped in his hands.

"You were talking about how Britta should not be judging you because she has hot dogs," Shirley explained as she reached for the bowl. Jeff's fingers tightened on it and Shirley smiled at him in an understanding way that Jeff was sure he didn't deserve.

He groaned in embarrassment. "I really don't want to talk about it," he stated.

"Then why are you here?" Shirley challenged, not missing a beat.

Jeff settled the bowl in one palm so he could scoop a spoonful out with the other hand. "I wanted to go to Italy," he said as if he was telling her that he was thinking about getting a pet He watched her carefully, needing her reaction. If she was shocked by him saying it, she was very good at keeping a straight face. She watched him in a way that gave him the impulse to keep speaking to her, but instead he just chewed on his mouthful of cookie dough. "This is really good," he said a moment later. "You should do this for a living."

Shirley didn't even give him a polite chuckle. "Why did you want to go, Jeffrey?"

Jeff shot her an incredulous look. "It's freaking _Italy_, Shirley."

Shirley narrowed her eyes at him again and he shrunk back slightly. She appraised him for a full minute in silence before turning back to her counter and collected the carton of eggs that was sitting there. "So, it had nothing to do with Annie?" she asked as she returned it to the fridge.

Jeff had to give her credit for cutting through all of the misdirecting bullshit he was throwing at her and getting right to what he was thinking, what he had been thinking since he pulled her to him and kissed her _last _spring. He watched her, letting his eyebrows furrow. It was about Shirley. _She_ was ultimately the reason he wasn't getting drunk in a pool halfway around the globe right that very moment.

"You don't _want_ it to be about Annie," he pointed out with a quirk of his brow. "You've been pretty clear with everyone about it actually."

She spun to face him as she shut the fridge door. "I want what is best for Annie."

"And that isn't me," Jeff finished for her.

She shook her head. "No," she agreed. "It's not."

He glanced down at the bowl again. "I…went to the airport." He cringed. Thankfully, she didn't hit him again.

"Uh huh. Why didn't you get on the plane?" Shirley asked.

Jeff chuckled humorlessly. "This feels a lot like therapy." He paused. "Which I've never had."

She reached for the bowl again and this time he let her take it from him. "Why didn't you get on the plane, Jeff?"

His head was buzzing from all the sugar he'd just ingested, which meant he would have to get to the gym while he was still on his cookie dough high. He didn't have an answer for that. He really couldn't put into human words why he had deserted her there. Leaning back against Shirley's kitchen counter, Jeff crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes scanned over her cheery kitchen, everything perfectly in its place. Her tile was a checkerboard pattern for crying out loud. He was in the Brady household. He'd actually come here to yell at her for making him feel guilty about wanting to bone Annie in Italy? Jeff sighed. "There was this toddler at the airport," he started and watched Shirley's eyes widen in surprise. "She had the world's crappiest mom and I had to stop her from tripping and falling on her face." It physically made his chest ache to talk about it. He didn't really do feelings.

This was why.

"Jeffrey," Shirley said in her soothing mom tone and Jeff winced.

"I just…" He sighed. "It just felt like what I would be doing to Annie."

"Nuh-uh," she chastised. "You did the exact opposite to her," she noted as next to him, their arms touching. He glanced down at the woman confusedly. "You let her fall on her face." He sighed, exasperated. "It's _technically _a valid teaching method. Like those parents who throw their kids into a lake to teach them how to swim." She looked back up at him pointedly. "_You_ threw Annie in a lake."

"I did not throw Annie in a lake," Jeff argued with a frown.

Shirley shook her head. "She needed to learn."

"Are you actually trying to use reverse psychology on me right now, Shirley?" he asked, almost amused.

"No," she assured him indignantly. "I am glad you finally gave her the message in a strong solid way." She nodded her head. "You're a good man, and you just keep on being a good man now."

Jeff felt himself nod limply. "Yeah," he finally said. "She needs to get over whatever ideas she has."

"She's young," Shirley answered. "She will." Jeff wasn't sure why she was smiling so contentedly at that idea, but he didn't feel like grinning. "The question Jeff, is are you really going to be okay with that when it happens?"

Jeff shook his head, getting frustrated. "We just talked about this."

"We talked about you pushing her away," Shirley came back instantly. "That doesn't mean you aren't going to do that thing you do where you act passive aggressive toward any man who looks at her." She gave him a knowing look and Jeff clenched his jaw. "Is the group going to have to live through Rich all over again?"

"Whoa," Jeff said as he held his hands up defensively. "I hated Rich _long_ before Annie was a factor there, Shirley."

"But not as _much_," she countered.

"Rich is terrible," Jeff argued. "He isn't right for her." Jeff's features settled into a scowl as he let his mind wander to Greendale's own version of McDreamy. "He is too perfect. _Nobody_ is that perfect."

"You like for people to think _you _are," Shirley said with a smirk as she pushed away from the counter and walked toward the sink.

"I'm not as fake as Rich is," he pouted.

"Nooo," she stated in a sarcastic tone. "I've been meaning to compliment you on that perfect all-year tan you have by the way." She jerked her head to the side to punctuate her point before beginning to wash dishes.

He sat silently watching her for thirty seconds before he was able to find something to say to her. "I'm just being protective of her." Was that the right way to say that? He wasn't sure. "I…I want her to be happy."

"And you're the best one to know what that means?" Shirley asked rhetorically before turning to face him with wet hands.

"You _know_ why she wanted me there," he said, giving her a meaningful glace.

"Of course I know why she wanted you there," she replied curtly. "You're six feet of muscle, boy." She gestured to his body. "That just means she's…female." She demurely pulled her sweater closed over her chest and Jeff grinned at her.

"You like me," he sang to her annoyingly.

"Stop trying to distract me," Shirley warned. "Annie is a twenty year-old with a crush and it was your responsibility to set her straight on what will and won't happen between you." She nodded. "I agree with your decision, Jeff. Just…" She faltered for a moment. "Just not the way you did it."

He knew that it wasn't the bravest thing in the world to slink out of the airport and leave the little girl to fend for herself. But had he really thrown Annie into a lake? Let her fall on her face? Why did it seem like everyone was giving him contradictory advice? He was right to stay but wrong to not go? What the hell kind of sense did that make? "Shirley," he started, unsure of what syllable would even come after that.

"She's still your friend, and the way you handled it was…cowardly and unfair." With that, she turned back to her sink and bent slightly to reach into the water.

Jeff flinched at her words. She was….He sighed. She was right. Annie had said she loved him. And even if he didn't feel that way about her in return, he should have at least had the stones to tell her why he couldn't accept her offer, why it was wrong to take advantage of her.

"Have you talked to her?" he asked quietly and Shirley turned to him. He watched her expression change somehow, become troubled. "Is she- how is she?"

"I haven't talked to her," Shirley answered with a shake of her head. He nodded, his eyebrows knitting together. "Jeff-"

"Mom!" a shout rang out as the front door opened and then closed. A second later, her two boys trooped into the kitchen, followed closely by Andre. He gave a surprised smile of recognition when he saw Jeff, who returned it. "Mom," the younger boy repeated breathlessly. "I hit the ball over the fence!"

"That's wonderful, baby." Shirley pulled him into her embrace and kissed the top of his head. There was something so natural and intimate about it that Jeff actually looked away for a split second. "I have cookies in the oven for you boys," she continued as she met Jeff's eye again. "But you have to go wash up first."

"What kind?" the older boy (Jordan?) asked even as he chased his brother down the hall to the bathroom.

"Keep it down," Andre called after them. "Your brother is sleeping." He stepped past Jeff and into Shirley's embrace. Jeff looked away again as Andre dropped a kiss onto Shirley's waiting lips, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Then, he turned back to address Jeff. "Jeff, what brings you here today?"

Jeff couldn't even remember. He knew he'd come over here to yell at Shirley, but…she didn't deserve that. She was being protective of Annie, which was a good thing. Really, the only person who deserved his ire was him.

And maybe Chang.

"I…don't know," Jeff answered honestly. "I think I'm gonna take off."

Andre glanced down at Shirley and they exchanged a look that put Jeff slightly on edge. "Well, it was good to see you," he said after a moment, extending his hand to shake Jeff's. "I think I should go supervise Jordan and Elijah before they kill each other." He smiled at Jeff warmly before disappearing down the hall.

Jeff stared at Shirley in silence. The same look of worry was on her face, but she didn't speak at all. "Shirley," he murmured. She inhaled sharply, as if she knew what he was going to say. Jeff looked at her curiously before continuing. "You're awesome." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

She exhaled into him before hugging him back. "You know you already missed your chance, right?" she asked as she pulled away. Jeff chuckled. "Jeff?" she asked and he cocked his head to the side in question. "Are you going to throw up that cookie dough?" He pulled her back into his embrace.

"When I get home," he answered after a beat of silence.


	11. Chapter 11

"Game," Rich announced as Annie ran for the missed shot. She picked up the small ball and tossed it back toward him. With an apologetic smile, Rich approached the net, tapping his racket against the top of it. "Annie, we can stop."

Slightly breathless, Annie shook her head. "No, this is good." She waved her arm above her. "Fresh air. And I'm learning something new."

Rich gave her an endearing grin in response. "And you are getting better." He lifted the racket to point it in her direction. "You're quite the little tennis player. You should keep at it when we go home."

She shrugged as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. "There aren't really many tennis players in Greendale, Rich."

"Well," he placed a hand against his chest, acting hurt. "_I_ play and I think we could have a lot of fun."

Annie forced a smile out. "Maybe," she answered. "Hey, we should go see something totally awesome this afternoon." She gave a little bounce and Rich chuckled.

"Okay," he replied amiably. "What did you have in mind?"

She scrunched up her face, thinking. The truth was, she had rushed out and bought a very thorough guide book the day after she'd gotten the tickets and had carefully combed through the entire thing in only seven hours time. It sat up on the dresser in her room, miniature hot pink Post-Its marking everything she had thought she would want to see.

Always planning the fun right out of everything.

Annie shook her head. "I…didn't have anything in mind."

Rich nodded in understanding, apparently believing her lie. "Well, let's eat some lunch and shower and then we can catch a train into the city and do some sightseeing. Sound good?"

She let out a light chuckle, laughing at her own words with a little incredulous shake of her head. "It sounds perfect." He gave her a somewhat bewildered smile and made his way toward the patio door.

"Hey, what do you want for lunch? I can make us something."

Annie's eyebrows went up in surprise. "You cook too?"

Rich rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Annie, I am actually quite the cook. Jeff didn't tell you?" The absolute absurdity of that question made her mind completely blank out. What did that even mean? Had Jeff and Rich been taking cooking classes together? Belatedly, Annie shook her head. "Well, I know my way around a kitchen," he added as he pointed his tennis racket at her again. "What's your pleasure?"

The previous night, after her exhausting excursion at the most miraculous place Annie had ever seen, called the Spanish Steps, she and Camilla had returned to the house to find Sergio in Pierce's kitchen, whipping around chopping things in a mad rush. Rich had stood nearby, watching in wonderment as the Italian man worked quickly to make a meal. When Sergio had lifted the wooden spoon he had been using in the sauce, Annie had demurred. When Sergio had insisted that she taste real sauce, she had let her tongue venture from her mouth, her eyes on his dark intent ones. The explosion of flavor in her mouth had caused her to moan before she had been able to clap a hand over her mouth. It had been the best thing Annie had ever tasted.

It really had. It was just….

"I want…" she bit her lip before sighing. "This sounds stupid. What I actually want is grilled cheese. Is that weird?" she asked with a wrinkle of the nose.

"Nah," Rich answered with a shake of his head. "You aren't getting homesick already, are you?"

Annie was not even slightly nostalgic for her apartment, the tiny box above a store that sold penis-shaped pasta. But she _was_ already missing her family. This place was amazing, truly breath-taking, but she wished she could be experiencing it with one of her friends. Then the realization hit her. She'd had the chance to bring any one of them. She could have brought Abed and actually re-created a walking tour of 'Roman Holiday' for goodness sake. She could have brought Britta and been led to every funky boutique or underground party in a fifty mile radius.

Instead, she had invited Jeff. Gambled it all on a hand that she knew wouldn't give her a pay out in the end. She had brought this on herself. "No," she finally responded with a smile. "Just hungry for food that you could get at a truck stop I guess?" She gave a little self-conscious shrug at that and Rich chuckled.

As they walked back into the house together, Annie's phone rang from where she'd left it on the kitchen counter. She sprang forward and picked it up, smiling at the picture ID that came up. "Abed!" she squealed, bouncing up and down.

"Hey Annie," he answered in his normal tone.

She grinned at the sound of his voice. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Abed replied. "You?"

"Abed," she chuckled. "Why are you up so late?"

"I'm working," he said, as if that was all the explanation that was needed.

"Okay," Annie said after a beat of silence. "So, how is everything there? What's new with everyone?"

"Shirley is convinced that Ben is already speaking, which has led Britta to speculate that she's going crazy." He hummed. "Troy is still living with Pierce, and is the only one Pierce will talk to."

"Except me," Annie cut in.

"Except you," Abed agreed.

Annie watched Rich pull a frying pan out and set it on the pristine stovetop. "What about Britta?"

"I haven't seen her," he answered. His voice got faint, distracted. "You didn't ask about Jeff."

"I don't think we have American cheese," Rich spoke up to her as he rooted through the fridge. "It might have to be mozzarella or acceglio."

"Who was that?" Abed asked without hesitation. Suddenly, his voice was very focused again.

"Um," Annie started, not sure quite what to say about the situation. "That's Rich."

There was a pause on the other end. "Greendale Rich?" Abed asked.

"Yeah," Annie said as she reached up to rub her forehead. "Turns out Pierce invited him too."

"That's very interesting, Annie."

She thumped the heel of her hand against her hairline. "Yeah," she repeated. "So we're here together at Pierce's house."

Abed was quiet for a moment. "Did you ask Pierce why he invited Rich?"

"I called him last night, but got his voicemail," she responded.

"Could be screening," Abed noted with interest.

"Abed, this isn't helping," Annie whined.

"He's going through a mid-life crisis," Abed continued.

"Pierce?"

"Jeff," he clarified. "You hadn't asked about him yet."

"I wasn't planning on it," Annie stated, hearing the edge in her own voice. Abed fell silent. "Did you hear that I gave him the extra ticket?"

"Annie," he answered. "I'm the one that told you that was going to happen. Of course I know."

"Right," she replied miserably. "Okay, well what do you need Abed?"

"I was wondering if you would be able to film some parts of your travels for a project I'm working on." Annie's eyebrows rose slightly. She had been sure that was just going to be merely a drunk idea of Troy's. "I would give you billing as second unit director," he added.

"Sure," she nodded as Rich began to butter the bread that Sergio had baked for them the previous afternoon. "Is he sick?"

"Is who sick?" Abed asked and Annie bit her lip. Her stomach squirmed. Maybe that was why he hadn't met her at the airport. It was because he…_no_.

She had to stop this.

"So, you don't really know why Pierce invited Rich?" he pressed.

Annie sighed. "No, Abed."

"This seems very movie-like, Annie."

"Yeah," she agreed. "There are even wacky supporting characters."

"Ooh," Abed said in a low voice. "Send video of them, too."

She chuckled at that. "Sure, Abed."

"He's not sick," Abed stated. "He just seems angry most of the time." Annie frowned. "And sullen for the rest."

There was that squirm again. "So, you've seen him?" she asked, regretting it a second later.

"Yeah," he answered. "I was at his apartment when he came back from- hold on." There was a pause and Annie opened her mouth in indignation when a second later, he disconnected the call without a goodbye. Scowling, she pulled the phone away from her ear and dropped it back to the counter.

"Who was that?" Rich asked, completely oblivious to everything that had just happened. He slid a plate onto the counter in front of her with a perfectly grilled sandwich on it.

Annie let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and smiled appreciatively at him. "Abed."

"Oh," Rich said in a happy tone of recognition. "That guy sure is a character, huh?"

She hummed her agreement as she bit into the sandwich. Of course it was perfect. Like the kitchen. And the man who had made the sandwich for her. What was wrong with her? She was so much more conflicted about all of this than she should be. Picking at a piece of crust, Annie cleared her throat. "I hope you don't mind everyone in the greater Greendale area knowing you're in Italy, because Abed just heard you." Rich smiled at her before turning back to the burner to begin his own sandwich.

"Nah," he replied. She watched him work in silence, preparing his own food. "I'm just worried about what Jeff will think."

What? Annie chewed silently, confused. What exactly was Jeff and Rich's relationship anyway? Rich talked about Jeff like they were friends and Jeff talked about Rich like they were mortal enemies and Rich had been sent to Greendale to destroy Jeff. And in either situation, why would Rich think that his being in Italy would upset Jeff? Her headache was growing exponentially every second. Annie closed her eyes. It did make sense that Rich would think Jeff would be upset. Jeff had tried to get _Ben_ into the group just to avoid Rich. Jeff did tend to be territorial of everything when it came to Rich.

But that had been before. Before he'd rather heartlessly ignored her invitation in favor of sitting on his couch all summer watching 'The Bachelorette' and doing push ups.

That had been a pretty clear sign.

"Actually…" Annie took another bite of her sandwich and chewed. "I think he would be relieved, Rich."


	12. Chapter 12

Jeff took a huge bite of Count Chocula and chewed noisily before pointing at the screen. "So, wait now." He looked over at Abed, who waggled his eyebrows in response. "So, is John Cusack the baby?

"What do you think?" Abed asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Who the hell wrote this?" Jeff asked as he continued to chew. "John Cusack ended up the love child of Catherine Keener and Cameron Diaz?" He sat up and glared at the television set. "Can't we just watch 'Rushmore' again?"

"Excellent," Abed answered as he rose to change the DVD. "This was the reaction you had to 'Magnolia' too, wasn't it?"

Jeff paused, giving Abed a critical eye. "I've never seen it."

"Cool," Abed replied, his eyes getting wide. "Cool, cool, cool. We'll watch that one next."

"Abed, when you said 'come over and we'll have a movie marathon, I was thinking more like 'Star Wars'." Jeff tipped his bowl up to his mouth to drink the chocolate milk out of it. "This sucked."

He hadn't actually talked to Abed since he'd yelled at him after coming back from the airport the other day. Abed had presumably left after Jeff's tirade. So it was relatively surprising when Abed had texted him that morning, inviting him over for what had turned out to be a hipster film marathon. They'd watched 'Fight Club' and 'Reality Bites', both of which Jeff considered classics, before Abed had put in 'Being John Malcovich', only after hearing Jeff had never seen it. Now Jeff knew it was with good reason that he'd never seen it.

"Jeff, you've seen 'Star Wars'. This was about expanding your understanding of human interaction." Abed poured himself another bowl full before handing the box over to Jeff.

"I am the one of us who actually _has _regular human interaction," Jeff shot back with a smirk as he settled further into Abed's uncomfortable couch and stretched his legs out in front of him.

"Besides, 'Star Wars' is kind of overdone," Abed continued as if Jeff hadn't just called him out. At this, Jeff fully turned his large frame in Abed's direction, awkwardly tucking one long leg under himself.

"Abed, it was this side of two weeks ago that you were acting out all of your Han Solo impulses with Annie." He raised his eyebrows meaningfully waiting for a reply from the other man.

"Stop projecting," Abed stated calmly as he stared at his spoon. "What happened between me and Annie during the paintball game isn't your issue here." His eyes moved to the television screen and stayed there. "Your issue is that Annie was into it at all."

Jeff's gut twisted unexpectedly and he put down his cereal bowl. "It wasn't about that, Abed." He ran a hand through his crunchy hair. "It was about…." He sighed. "You _know_ she will cling to whoever will show her attention."

"And you were upset that for once, it wasn't you," Abed assessed easily.

Jeff threw his head back in frustration. "I need to just learn to stay home."

"You don't stay home because you keep waiting for one of us to agree with your decision." Jeff scowled deeply at him, but Abed was still riveted by the action on the screen. "You're so desperate for approval because really, you wanted to go and you didn't and you need all of us to assure you it was the right choice." Jeff exhaled slowly, trying to fight off the feelings of nausea that were working their way up his throat.

Jeff had somehow managed to discuss this issue with Britta, Shirley and Abed all within the last three days. Had they been talking about him behind his back? That wouldn't really surprise him honestly. The group had a way of doing that, so Jeff had to assume that there had been discussion about The Annie Situation. That was what he thought they would have called it. He was starting to wish that they would just all line up and take turns punching him in the balls. It might be less painful in the long run. Or at least maybe they could actually tell him what the hell they wanted him to do. If he was right to deny her, then couldn't they just leave it the fuck alone now?

Abed's phone rang from the pocket of his jeans and Jeff glowered silently as it was answered. "This is Abed."

It was completely unnerving how easily Abed could read him. For someone who didn't actually know how to relate to other people, he sure did understand them. Either that or they were just acting out a movie that Abed had seen once.

"Hey," Abed greeted the person. "Did you get something for me?" Jeff watched Abed curiously as the younger man ran through an obvious mental checklist. "That should work, yeah. Where did you guys go? Have you seen the Colluseum yet?" Jeff let out an involuntary noise from deep in his throat. Was Abed talking to Annie? He sat forward on the couch trying instead to focus on the movie. Wait, did he just say 'guys'? Who was she going places with in Italy? "Oh, I had another call." Abed turned to stare at Jeff. "I don't remember, what were we taking about?" Jeff let his leg begin to jiggle forcefully as he rubbed his mouth. "Oh, that." Jeff glanced up and met Abed's inquisitive gaze. "I think you'll know soon enough." Jeff let his eyes narrow suspiciously. "Yeah, he's actually right here," Abed continued, pointing a finger in Jeff's direction.

Jeff froze. She wanted to talk to him? What could he possibly say to her? 'Hey, send me a postcard from of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and also, I'm so sorry for abandoning you when all I really wanted to do was steal your bag of peanuts and hold your tiny hand during the part of take off that makes me queasy'? He could totally do this, he would just keep it light and conversational and-

But Abed was already turning away from him toward the bunk beds. "No, he's not sick. He just ate half a box of cereal." Jeff frowned at Abed's back. "I'll tell him." Abed spun back to face Jeff. "It's Annie. She says that if you're not feeling well, the deli by the movie theater has the best chicken soup in town."

"Yeah," Jeff said, his eyes closing tightly as he pounded his fist against the empty cushion next to him before rising and beginning to pace the tight quarters he was currently in. He looked down at the carpet, trying to hold his mental breakdown at bay. How did this girl- woman, whatever, how did she manage to bring out his most bi-polar tendencies?

"Okay," Abed said. "Where are you and Rich going tomorrow?"

What? The fuck? Did he just say?

Rich? As in Dr. Perfect?

Jeff's foot had connected with Abed's coffee table before he'd even realized that he'd kicked it. He froze in the next moment, meeting Abed's curious gaze. The other man quirked an eyebrow at him and Jeff grimaced at the immense pain that shot through his sandal-clad foot. "Son of a bitch!" he cried, limping back in the opposite direction.

"What?" Abed asked. "No, he's fine. This is just character growth." Jeff spun to face Abed, his eyes going manically wide. Did he just say character growth? Jeff was going to lose his big toenail and that was character growth? Rich was in Italy. With Annie. Jeff bent double, placing his hands on his thighs and breathed in deeply through his nose. What the hell had happened? How on earth had that happened? Was there any air in this tiny room? He couldn't breathe. Standing upright, Jeff limped out of Abed's room without even managing to get a farewell out of his closed throat.

God, Greendale. He had ended up here even during summer vacation. He couldn't escape this fucking school or its crazy ridiculous students. Somehow, even from six thousand miles away, Rich was besting him. Mocking him. He moved down the hallway, ignoring Leonard's taunts.

How had Abed not told him that Rich was in Italy with Annie? They'd spent the last two hours watching an incomprehensible piece of garbage about John Malcovich being a puppeteer and eating twelve thousand carbs and Abed couldn't have mentioned in passing that Jeff's mortal enemy was currently on _his _awesome vacation with Annie? He stepped out into the sun, glaring for no apparent reason at the newly- established Luis Guzman statue. Rich was fake, Rich had already said he didn't want her! What was he doing there? Jeff was the one who was supposed to be there.

Frowning into the sun, Jeff cursed. He couldn't just let Rich seduce her, could he? It was one thing for Annie to be romanced by some nameless Italian lothario she would never see again, but if something happened with Rich, it would come back here. Rich could be a real thing. Sure, he'd turned her down but Jeff knew that denying Annie was difficult to say the least. Especially if she was prancing around in little sundresses and being happy and perfect and-

He skidded to a stop on the pavement, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his foot. The idea that Rich would ever put his hands on Annie made Jeff's skin crawl and gave him the urge to kick something else just to make sure it hurt. What could he do about it now though?

"Mr. Winger!" he heard a happy cry from behind him and turned to acknowledge Professor Whitman. "How are you this fine summer day?"

"Hi Professor," he greeted flatly, squinting against the sun. "How is the world of accounting?"

"Positively incestuous," Whitman offered.

What the hell did that even mean?

"You seem conflicted about something, Jeff." Whitman gave him an appraising look. "Anyway I can be of assistance to you?" he asked, bowing before Jeff.

Jeff rolled his eyes. "No thanks, professor."

"'Sucking the marrow out of life doesn't mean choking on the bone'," Whitman stated with a somber face and Jeff sighed, exasperated.

"Thank you," he answered edgily. "But I'm just a little bit pre-occupied right now."

Whitman clapped his hands together. "Of course, Mr. Winger." He glanced down at Jeff's foot. "Are you aware your foot is bleeding?"

"Yeah," Jeff said dully. "I was seizing some anger."

The professor reared back in surprise at that confession. "Jeff my boy, violence is never the answer." Jeff ran a hand through his hair. He didn't have time for this kind of crazy right now. He was in the middle of a psychotic break. "When making the decision that is currently troubling your mind, keep this in mind, Jeffrey." He took a breath. "'There's a time for daring and a time for caution and a wise man understands which is called for.'"

Jeff stilled, inhaling deeply before glancing at the oddball professor.

What was he going to do?

Was there a chance he could actually be..._wise_?

Jeff sagged, letting himself relax. "Thank you sir," he said sincerely before walking away from the crazy professor. Jeff walked quickly toward his car, pulling his phone out. He dialed the number and waited for a response. On the third ring, the line went live.

"Hey, it's me." Jeff glanced back over his shoulder at the campus. "I need you to do something for me."


	13. Chapter 13

"Scusa me," Rich sang loudly.

Annie grinned over at him, singing along. "But you see."

"Back in old Napoli," Rich answered.

"That's amore!" They finished together, singing along loudly with the stereo as Annie pulled into the driveway. She put the car into park and glanced at Rich. "This was so great, Rich." Together, they climbed out of the car and walked to the front door, Rich carrying the bag of extra clothes they were traveling with.

"It was wonderful," he agreed amiably. "We sure did have a full day."

They had woken up early, determined to spend the whole day out and about in Lazio, the region in which Pierce's house was situated. Driving south, they'd ended up in the town of Sperlonga, where Annie and Rich had spent the entire morning at a museum boasting a large collection of sculptures. Annie had been slightly surprised at the relief she felt from having Rich with her. He seemed to have a mental catalogue of the history of the works they were looking at. When Annie had asked, Rich had demurely stated that he'd been an Art History minor in school. Charmed, she had allowed him to lead her through the museum in its entirety, pointing out techniques that she didn't notice at first glance. Rich took everything in with wide eyes, clearly ecstatic, and Annie could only feel in awe of the works as well as the man she was enjoying them with.

After a light lunch at a restaurant right on the expansive beach, they'd made their way to the crowded waterfront. One large umbrella rental later, Annie and Rich had settled themselves on the perfect sand on the most beautiful beach Annie had seen. They had spent the remainder of the day sunning and swimming and watching the locals, so completely desensitized to the utter beauty that was around them.

As Annie pushed the door open, a wonderful scent wafted toward her and she inhaled deeply, smiling. They moved forward toward the kitchen, their flip flops making thwapping noises against the hard wood floors all the way. Sergio smiled up at Annie widely when she entered the kitchen and she couldn't contain her yelp of excitement as she hurried over to him.

"Sergio! What are you making?" she cooed as she looked over his shoulder, trying to ignore the musky male scent that was coming off of him. He turned around and she realized she had stepped way too close to him in the first place, because now they were almost pressed up against each other. Annie sucked her lower lip into her mouth nervously, meeting Sergio's impossibly dark eyes.

"Spaghetti ala carbonara," he murmured to her before smiling at her in a way that made Annie's stomach twist in a rather delicious way. She grinned at him in response before he stepped away from her to address Rich. "Come e andata la giornata? How was your day?"

"Fantastic," Rich answered as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "We actually _went _to the Grotta di Tibero," he went on in an almost moony manner. Annie chuckled at this. "It was amazing."

"I see you went to the beach as well," Sergio stated as he gave them each a once over and Annie felt herself flush at the attention. The red bikini she'd packed had seemed fairly conservative when she had bought it the previous week, but she had realized upon putting it on under her clothes that morning that half of it had disappeared between the store and her suitcase. When Annie had stripped off her skirt and tank top that afternoon, she'd noticed several appraising gazes as well as muttered responses from men, all of which made her feel more uncomfortable than they should have. Afterward, still wet and sandy in places, she and Rich had simply laid towels down in the car and not bothered to put their clothes back on. "Bellisima."

Annie blushed, knowing that particular word. She turned her head to look at her own shoulder. "But I think I am burnt." Gathering her hair over the opposite shoulder, Annie frowned down at her pinkening skin. "Rich?" she asked pitifully as she glanced back at him.

"Yeah," he answered as he approached her from behind. "You look like you got a little bit of a burn there, Annie." She let her face fall into a pout. He gingerly moved one of the thin straps holding her top up and Annie hissed. "Oh, yeah. There is some definite color here."

"Oh no," Annie whined. "My skin is just too sensitive."

"The good news," Rich noted as he let his fingers linger on her hot skin, "is that by tomorrow, it will probably just be a tan." Annie let her hair fall back into place.

"Really?" she asked, perking up quickly as she turned to face him.

He nodded. "Definitely."

She smiled at him before giving a little hop. Sergio chuckled and Annie spun toward him just in time to see him turning away, a smile on his face. She stared at him for a moment in silence, watching the way his defined back muscles moved under his tee shirt as he set to work chopping something. Belatedly, she shook herself and cleared her throat. "I think I'm going to go take a shower, get all of the extra sand out of…" Annie made a generic gesture toward her body.

"Yeah," Rich chuckled easily. "I'll help Sergio with the cooking. Maybe I can pick some things up."

Annie gave a small awkward wave to them before making her way upstairs to her bedroom. She carefully took off her bathing suit and rinsed it out in the tub before laying it to dry over the lip. Approaching the large mirror over the sink, Annie scrutinized her sunburn, gently tracing a finger along the pale lines the bikini had left on her skin. Thankfully, her tan lines were where few were likely to see them. Or, if things kept up the way they had been, _no one _would see them. Britta had told her to sleep with strangers which Annie had though was a rather terrifying and vulgar idea.

Then she'd met Sergio. Britta was right. Sex definitely didn't have to mean strong feelings or any kind of relationship. It could just be sex. Awesome sex with an Italian man. Dropping her hands, Annie continued to study herself critically, looking at her own breasts. She wondered if she could properly seduce him, even if she'd wanted to. She had always been embarrassed by her body in the past, her extra weight an albatross around her neck. But after rehab, Annie had managed to drop weight. It was amazing how much you could lose when you were too broke to eat. The first time Vaughn had seen her without most of her clothes on, he'd worshipped her, rubbing his patchouli-smelling hands everywhere she'd let him. It had been liberating. But since then, she'd had literally no sexual interaction with anyone. Even that one time she'd tried to kiss Britta, she'd been rebuffed.

Was there something wrong with her?

She let her hands feather over the top of her breasts before smoothing down her ribs to land on her waist. Her head cocked to the side. Then there had been Jeff. Jeff had seen her naked only ten days ago and his reaction had been to avert his eyes and run for the hills as quickly as his expensive cowboy boots would take him. Did she look like a little girl? Was that the problem?

Frowning at her reflection, Annie stepped away from the mirror to turn the shower on. It stood in the corner of the room, separate from the large whirlpool tub, with frosted glass doors covered in intricate etching. She let the water run lukewarm, hoping to counteract the steady increase of pain to her skin. Stepping in, Annie shuddered for a moment at the temperature before allowing her body to relax under the cool spray. The water soothed her shoulders and the backs of her calves, where the burning seemed to have been the worst. She spun slowly under the showerhead, rinsing all the remaining sand from her body before she started gently soaping her skin. Annie regularly took cool showers in the summer; the window air conditioner in her apartment only worked half the time. But the weather in Colorado so far that spring had been extremely mild, almost cold for the season. In fact, Annie had only taken one other cold shower in the last six months.

And she was back to Jeff. To her credit, Annie had spent the entire day with Rich, not giving Jeff even a fraction of a thought. It was only when left to her own thoughts that she managed to think about him, so she _was _improving. She knew something strange had happened the previous night, well- afternoon back at home, when she'd called Abed. There had been some sort of ruckus in the background, followed by Abed gently reassuring her that he thought she would find out on her own. What did that mean? Did Jeff act like he was going to call? He hadn't even returned the group text she'd sent to everyone when she'd first arrived in Italy. Sure, she hadn't actually meant to send it to him, but in retrospect was glad she had. When given the chance, Jeff would always let her down. Annie just needed to focus on that.

And she was getting better at it.

The plan would just have to be to stay busy, stay focused. It made it much easier for her to ignore the hole in her heart she was still mostly aware of at all times. Dwelling on it was not accomplishing anything, was it? No. She would just have to stay busy.

And maybe try to seduce Sergio. She could do that.

Right?

She stepped out of the shower, fully cleansed and wrapped an over-sized fluffy towel around herself before padding back to the bedroom. She needed something comfortable, something that wouldn't rub against her sore shoulders too much. Annie's eyes scanned over the new additions to her wardrobe slowly, arranged by color and length.

When Camilla had first pulled her into the Gucci store, Annie had balked immediately. If she bought one of those dresses, she would have to live in it, drive it, and eat it. But without missing a beat, the older woman had pulled out a thick wad of money, assuring Annie everything was on her. After convincing her to try on over three dozen pieces between Gucci and Prada, Annie had somehow left with handfuls of expensive sundresses, stiff satin pencil skirts, silk blouses in bright colors and strappy sandals with heels so high she was sure she'd never manage to wear them and walk at the same time. Her fingers lingered on the strapless yellow dress that Camilla had insisted upon. Its full skirt fell to her knees, where it poofed out slightly, especially if she spun. When she'd emerged from the dressing room wearing it, Camilla had instantly said she looked like a fifties housewife, claiming she needed to own it. Annie couldn't really understand if calling her a housewife was a compliment or not, but the salesgirl had nodded approvingly, so she'd just gone along with it.

She stepped back into the bathroom to look in the mirror and cocked her head to the side searchingly. It was way too formal for eating spaghetti in the kitchen with Rich for the evening, but the lack of any sort of support system of straps cutting into her sunburn trumped the formality of the look. It didn't hurt that the dress really looked fairly nice on her. There was a muted, buried hope that Sergio would like it, but Annie wasn't sure what would happen if he did.

Sex. That's what she would do.

She would sleep with him as soon as he let her.

Annie gathered her still-damp hair up into a slightly messy twist before allowing herself more time to agonize and left the bedroom quickly, forgoing shoes altogether for the evening. She quietly padded down the marble staircase, the stone cold under her bare feet. When she entered the kitchen, she found Sergio and Rich speaking to each other quietly, their heads together in a conspiratory fashion. Annie eyed them curiously in silence for a moment before approaching. Sergio backed away from Rich the second his eyes met Annie's, his face changing in an instant. A wide smile slid onto his face and his dimples miraculously appeared at the apples of his cheeks. She felt the flush take over her skin.

Yes. She could _definitely_ do that.

"Incantevole," he murmured in her direction before turning back to the pan he was frying in. Annie and Rich had spent a full hour on the beach that very afternoon practicing common Italian words, and that was one she remembered. Feeling emboldened, Annie came around the island and settled next to Sergio at the stove.

"What happens now?" she asked him quietly, peering over his shoulder.

He grins at her almost knowingly. "I will drop the spaghetti into the pan," he explained as he did so. "I stir in the eggs, the cheese, and the butter." Annie watched as he filled the pan and pulled it off the stove before stirring it together. He dipped a fork into the pan and twirled a piece of spaghetti around it before lifting it to Annie's waiting mouth. "Taste, bellisima."

Her tongue snaked out of her mouth before her lips wrapped around the tines of the fork he was offering her. The flavors all melted in her mouth and she let out a low hum as her eyes fluttered closed. It was rich and smooth and creamy and perfect. "Why does the pasta taste so good?" she asked, covering her mouth as she spoke.

"Casalingo," Sergio answered. "It's homemade, Anna."

She nodded in understanding before chewing and swallowing. "It's wonderful." She turned to look at Rich, who was watching them expectantly. "Did you try it yet, Rich?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "While you were upstairs." He shook his head dubiously. "It's amazing." Annie nodded in agreement, letting her tongue slip out to lick her lips surreptitiously before catching Sergio's eye. His attention snapped to her from somewhere behind her and he smiled in an almost knowing manner.

"You're going to stay and eat, right?" she asked him in a tone that sounded slightly breathless to her own ears.

His eyes narrowed warmly at her. "If you would like me to, yes." Annie nodded, not trusting her voice anymore. "Then I would be honored to, of course." He turned back to the stove before spinning to present her with a plate. She smiled shyly at him before accepting the plate of food and walking to the dining room, holding herself as gracefully as she could as her bare feet made a slight slapping noise against the floor.

It was only a minute later when the two men joined her, one carrying a bottle of wine and one carrying a salad bowl. Together, they ate and laughed and enjoyed each other's company for hours. At one point, Rich turned on the stereo system, filling the main floor with the gentle sounds of guitar music. Bolstered by the half glass of wine she'd drunk and the constant attention she was receiving from Sergio, Annie stood and pulled Rich to his feet to dance. His hand eased against her hip gently as he moved her lithely in circles around the large dining room. Sergio's deep laughter urged her on as she spun in the doctor's arms. It was almost as if she could see the entire thing in slow motion, as if it were a film, with the Italian man's eyes on her form as she unwittingly charmed her way into his life. The song ended and Annie broke away, laughing as she brought her hands up to her warm cheeks. It seemed like in the next instant, Sergio was collecting her into his own strong arms and she was moving again. The sensation of dancing with Sergio was completely different than dancing with Rich had been. Rich was proper, kept their elbows locked correctly, as if he watched 'Dancing With The Stars' on a weekly basis. Dancing with Sergio was all spontaneous hip contact and fingers grazing her skin in ways that made her nerves sit up and beg for more.

She had only had a partial glass of wine, right? Her head was buzzing in a way she hadn't felt since high school. The sunburn had made her skin overly warm to begin with it, but she was feeling her stomach heat up quickly too as Sergio's hand tightened around her waist.

It was only the sound of the doorbell that pulled Annie out of her fuzzy stupor. She looked curiously over at the two men, who also seemed confused about the sound. "Camilla?" Rich asked Sergio.

"It could be them," Sergio agreed, dropping his hands from Annie's form altogether. Annie felt the loss instantly. Shaking it off, she made her way to the front door.

"Wouldn't they just come in?" she called over her shoulder. "They did that the other day as a way of introducing themselves." She chuckled to herself as she grasped the door knob and yanked it open.

And then her stomach fell out of her body to the floor.

No, what was lower than the floor?

It fell to the basement.

He pulled his sunglasses off of his face and Annie could see the dark circles under his eyes, his general unkemptness. He stood before her in wrinkled clothes, a messenger bag slung across his chest and a pair of battered flip flops on his feet. "Hey," Jeff murmured tiredly.

Something was grabbing her roughly around the throat. Fear was choking her. Fear, humiliation, every horrible feeling she'd ever had in her life. Her breath picked up steadily until she was full-on hyperventilating. It was some kind of cruel joke, wasn't it? Annie did the only thing she could think of at that moment.

She reached forward and slapped him across the face before stepping back into the house and slamming the door.


	14. Chapter 14

Jeff brought a hand up to his face and stared somberly at the closed door in front of him.

Well, he probably did deserve that, or at least some variation on that. Running a hand through his slightly greasy hair, he sighed. This had been a bad idea. If her reaction to seeing him was to slap him across the face, what was she going to do when he tried to talk to her? He rang the doorbell again, holding his breath. Annie could very well just announce that it was an old homeless man at the door and convince anyone else in the house to simply ignore him.

He didn't have time to concoct more ridiculous scenarios in his head, because in the next instant, the door was opened again and Jeff was staring at a surprised Rich. "Jeff!" he greeted him exuberantly and Jeff swallowed, resisting the urge to punch him in the ear. "This sure is a surprise!" He moved forward and hugged Jeff, as if he was greeting a long-lost friend. Jeff stiffly raised one arm to pat Rich's back, hoping it would make the shorter man get the hell off of him. "Come in," the doctor said as he stepped back into the house, making a motion for Jeff to enter.

The mansion was stunning, so classical looking that Jeff had to wonder if they were really in Pierce's home. He shuffled numbly through what looked like the living room and a dining room, still with the remnants of dinner on the table, and finally into the kitchen. Jeff's eyes locked on Annie the moment he saw her, willing her silently to look at him. She was not being cooperative. Instead, she seemed completely focused on _another_ man, one Jeff had never seen.

How many guys was she shacked up with anyway? Jesus.

"Annie," Rich said to her. "I thought you said there was no one there when you checked." He turned toward Jeff with a chuckle. Annie still wouldn't look at either of them. "Can you believe Jeff is here?" Finally, she gave him a fleeting glance before letting her eyes settle on Rich.

"Oh," was all the answer she gave before biting her lip uncomfortably. Jeff clenched his jaw tightly. This was going to suck. Honestly, he had kind of assumed that despite everything, she would jump into his arms, happy to see him. Which, now that he really thought about it, was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard of.

"Jeff," Rich pointed toward the greasy man who was in Annie's personal space. "This is Sergio." At the sound of his name, Sergio turned to acknowledge him and then smiled widely at him, moving forward. "Sergio, this is Jeff. He's from Greendale, too." Rich clapped Jeff on the back and before Jeff had the chance to turn around and backhand the diminutive doctor, the Italian lothario was reaching his hand out to shake his.

"Buona sera," Sergio said, his voice lilting out perfect Italian. Jeff wondered if it would be rude to simply drop the man's hand and wipe his palm on his own dirty jeans. Jeff spun away slightly, dropping his messenger bag to the floor before turning back toward Sergio. "Good evening," he said in accented English, apparently just in case Jeff had absolutely no understanding of foreign language. "Belculo."

Really? These were the two guys she was spending her time with?

Really?

"Sergio is actually Pierce's personal chef," Rich added as he moved toward the stemware rack, plucking a flute from it and filling it. "We share him with the neighbors." He walked back to Jeff, offering him a glass half full of white wine. "He's fantastic."

"Are you hungry, Jeff?" Sergio looked at him keenly. Jeff rubbed the back of his neck distractedly, trying vainly to keep a sneer off of his face.

"No," he answered with a shake of his head. "I filled up on peanuts on the plane."

"So Jeff," Rich asked congenially as Jeff drank down half of his wine. "What brings you here?"

He swallowed. What was he going to say? He needed to talk to Annie in private. This was not going the way he wanted it to. What could he say in the mean time? Pierce. Jeff had to be just vague enough that Rich didn't really question it. "Oh, you know Pierce…" he muttered, hoping that was good enough for the other man to take it and run.

Rich nodded, still grinning like an idiot. "I definitely do," he answered. "I mean, that's basically the same thing that happened to me and Annie. Right, Annie?"

Jeff glanced over at her trepidatiously. She was concentrating very hard on Sergio, a strange faraway look on her face. "What?" she asked confusedly.

"Isn't it crazy that Jeff showed up too?" he asked, clearly unable to read the tension of the room at all. He looked between Jeff and Annie in the ensuing silence. "Well, I think I'm going to clean up the dining room."

"I'll help," Annie offered in a quiet voice. Jeff watched her move toward him, her head ducked. Just before she passed him, her eyes flicked up to his face for the briefest of moments and Jeff felt his chest twinge.

"I've got more spaghetti," Sergio announced. "I'll make you a plate."

No. He didn't want to eat this guy's spaghetti. He wanted to corner Annie and talk to her. He needed her to…what? Jeff squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before exhaling. If she actually did ask him why he was there, could he actually tell her his reasoning? 'I know I decided _I_ didn't want you, but I have a real problem with Rich being anywhere near you. But please don't read too much into that'? Ignoring the dull ache that was covering his entire body, Jeff stepped forward slowly and took a seat at the kitchen counter on one ornate bar stool. He watched Sergio listlessly, keeping one eye on the doorway the entire time. This had been a huge mistake. This mistake made ditching Annie at the airport look damn chivalrous. He just…Jeff sighed. Rich came in and out, but Annie didn't show her face until Sergio was putting a platter of pasta down in front of Jeff. He glanced up and caught her gaze. She swallowed hard before looking away. Jeff felt something heavy fully settle on his chest, constricting his airway. Trying to ignore the woman and the affect she was having on him, Jeff bent over his plate and took a small bite.

The flavors melted against his tongue and he choked slightly. This guy _was _good. "Wow," he said before continuing to chew. He looked up at Sergio in surprise. "This is really good."

"Careful," Annie spit out from behind him. Jeff turned, surprised that she was actually acknowledging him. "That has like twelve hundred calories." She rolled her eyes over to Rich sarcastically. "He'll probably have to do three hundred crunches before bed now."

Okay, so she had decided to take the snotty teenager route. That was fine. At least this version of her was easier to take without feeling like he was being gutted like a fish. He watched her silently as Rich chuckled at Annie's attempted joke. When her eyes met his again, it was with a fiery defiance. Jeff felt something heat up in his stomach, surprising in its potency and …_urgency_. A second later, it was gone as she was staring at her feet, the light fixture, the fridge, anything to keep from meeting his gaze.

"So, how long are you with us Jeff?" Sergio was asking, but Jeff wasn't listening. He watched Annie intently, waiting to catch her eye again. Belatedly, he shook his head.

"What?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"I asked how long you are going to be here?" Sergio asked, wiping his hands on a towel before continuing to clean the counter up.

"I…don't know," Jeff replied honestly.

"I'm wiped," Annie said behind him softly. "I think I'm going to head upstairs." Sergio moved toward her and lifted one small hand to gently kiss it. Jeff squeezed his hands into fists at his side as he watched Annie smile sweetly at the chef before she let her gaze settle on Jeff for a significant moment. His breath actually caught in his throat. She was standing there, hair upswept, dress daring him to keep his eyes on her face, looking at him…_expectantly_. Jeff felt himself half rising from his seat, but then she blinked and looked over at Rich. "Good night." She offered Sergio and Rich each another small smile before leaving the room.

Jeff's fingers were tingling.

"I hope she remembers to put more aloe on," Rich said, sounding a million miles away. "That sunburn sure doesn't look fun. I told her that she should keep reapplying sunscreen today, but I could barely get her out of the water. It didn't help that her swim suit left a lot of skin exposed." He chuckled again. "So, do you have plans while you're here?" Rich asked him as the two men moved toward him.

What?

Were they talking to _him_?

"Um," Jeff stood slowly. He had to get away from them. "I'm actually pretty tired, too." He bent to retrieve his bag again. "I think I'll turn in."

"Sure, of course. Yeah." Rich was nodding his head and Jeff almost felt a ripple of pity for him. Then he grasped onto the words Rich had said only thirty seconds prior.

Rich. And Annie in a bikini.

Okay, so not pity so much as disgust.

And a tiny touch of envy.

Without giving either man another glance, Jeff left the kitchen and made his way back toward the stairs he's seen by the front door. The house was massive, amazing. He would have to take an inventory in the morning. That was, if he was still there. Jeff knew what he needed to accomplish here, but if Annie was insistent on him not being there, he would respect her.

He took the stairs two at a time, ignoring his protesting knees. When he reached the landing, Jeff proceeded slowly. He peered through the first open doorway on the right and was surprised by his own luck. He'd found her on the first try. Past the bedroom, she stood out on what was apparently a private balcony, staring at the sky. She had already changed into a pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top. Her arms were wrapped around herself protectively and Jeff exhaled almost painfully. He dropped his bag in the hallway before quietly approaching her. When he reached the doorway to the balcony, he cleared his throat. Annie stiffened visibly and reached a hand up to her face, wiping at her cheek and then she was spinning to face him. Her expression was unreadable in the darkness of the night.

"Hi," he started softly, stepping out into the moonlight. Annie took what was probably an unconscious step backward and Jeff stilled.

"This is actually my room," Annie answered as if she needed to explain. "But the one across the hall is free," she added as she glanced up at the stars. "Until the next refugee from Greendale shows up."

Jeff chuckled at this and felt heartened when she smiled in return. "Remember to put aloe on before you go to sleep," he murmured and then mentally smacked himself. What the hell was he doing? Giving her medical advice now? He grimaced when her brow knit in confusion. "For your sunburn," he went on, pointing toward her still mostly-bare shoulder. He could see the faint white lines running perpendicular to her collar bones. His finger itched to reach forward and touch her skin, see if it was as hot as it looked. "Rich was saying that…" Jeff trailed off, not knowing what Rich had actually said about it. He had been talking, Jeff was sure of that.

Well, pretty sure at least.

Annie exhaled before nodding in understanding. Great, so now she thought he was here to relay information about burn ointment. Jeff watched as her eyes returned to the sky, a slight frown marring her lovely features. He sighed and edged ever so slightly closer to her. He had to fix this. How could he do that? If he got her talking, he could figure out where she was and take it from there. That was at least plan-shaped, right? "I was hoping I could talk to you?" he ventured softly, dragging his eyes away from her form to stare out at the land beyond them. He had to play this very carefully. Even without looking at her, he could feel Annie stiffen at his words.

"We don't have to," she insisted somewhat woodenly. Jeff glanced down at her and was met with a smile that seemed more like a grimace. "There's nothing we have to talk about."

His instinct told him that he needed to speak anyway, even if she didn't want to hear it. But her eyes were so sad, so distant when they met his that Jeff found himself biting his tongue. "So," he said slowly. "We're…good then?"

Say no.

Get angry.

_Care!_

"Yep," she answered with a quick nod. She glanced up him nervously and he could see the change in her demeanor when she found him staring at her. She gave him a look of determination. "We're good. We're…"she sighed. "We're friends, Jeff."

Fuck.

"Annie," he said, his voice gravelly. "The thing is-"

"Your toe is bleeding," she pointed out softly, derailing his train of thought.

"-I ca- what?" Jeff glanced down at his foot, flexing it in its flip flop. The big toe was pretty impressively covered with dried blood. "Oh, yeah."

Annie's focus seemed to be completely on his foot now. "Does it hurt?" she asked quietly without looking back up from the injured digit.

Jeff exhaled slowly, his eyes closing for a moment.

He was such a chicken shit.

"No," he replied. "Not anymore.."

That answer seemed to satisfy her, as the next moment she was looking up again. Her eyes bypassed him though, and moved past him to what Jeff had thought looked like a vineyard behind him. "I'm sorry I slapped you," she finally murmured.

Jeff's eyes widened and he resisted the urge to reach up and touch the place her hand had landed. "I think I may have deserved at least some of it," he responded lightly. He watched Annie shrug her shoulders in spite of herself.

"I still shouldn't have done it," she said in a small voice. She shook her head and Jeff clenched his jaw to keep from speaking again. He had spent the last day and a half in a hell of airports and should be tired. He _was_ tired. But more than that, he just wanted to be able to talk to her, listen to her voice without it having to be mired in sadness. He wanted to be able to pull her into his embrace without her seizing up under his touch. That look on her face, _he_ had done that. "I'm sorry," she repeated.

He was such a jack hole.

"Good night," she stated in a stronger voice than he'd heard since he'd stepped out onto the balcony. She was dismissing him.

"I actually slept on the plane," Jeff lied easily. "I'm not really that tired."

"I am," came her response. "It's been a long day." Then, in a moment of clear thinking, she frowned up at him. "Where is your suitcase?"

"I don't have one," he replied, bracing himself for more in that line of questioning.

"You kind of look like crap, Jeff." Her expression turned to one of worry for a split second before she bit her lip and looked away from him. No. He wanted her to look at him.

He stifled a yawn. "I'm thinking about changing moisturizers." Jeff licked his lips and shuffled closer to her. "Can I please just explain what-"

"No," Annie cut him off. "I don't really want to go over the whole thing." She wrapped her hands around the railing in front of her. "And I don't really want your pity, so there's no point in any of this." Pity? No, it wasn't pity. It was… How was this whole thing imploding so stupendously before he'd even been given a chance to speak? She'd just said there was no point? Did that mean that she really didn't care about….any of it? She _had _been spending her time sandwiched between a supposedly perfect doctor and an oily bohunk. "I was acting like a kid," Annie continued and Jeff felt his gut twist painfully. "I had some stupid romantic ideas about how things should go just because it was what I _thought_ I wanted." Her tongue came out to wet her lips and Jeff inhaled. "You were just being level-headed, Jeff." She glanced up at him, her eyes wider than he'd ever seen them. "I really _do_ get it," she finished quietly.

He couldn't breathe. Jeff wanted to tell her to shut up and listen to him, that she wasn't just being a stupid kid. Couldn't she see that him refusing to use her for a free trip to Italy and a hot body he wanted to nail was a compliment? He'd seen guys do a thing in movies where they would just grab the girl and kiss her to stop her from talking stupidly. He should do that right now and then they could at least sort everything else out together later. Instead, Jeff felt himself nod dumbly. Annie's nose wrinkled slightly.

"You need a shower," she remarked and Jeff breathed out a chuckle. "It's been a really long day."

Jeff frowned deeply at that comment. "Yeah," he finally answered, knowing a kiss off when he heard one. That was definitely what was happening. Slowly, he turned on the spot and walked away from her slowly. She didn't utter one more syllable to him as left her alone, but one glance back toward her told Jeff that any strength she'd been showing him a moment earlier had left her again, making his shoulders deflate quickly. He moved across the hall and dropped his one bag to the floor before flopping onto the bed on his back.

Had he seriously thought that coming here was a good idea? Jeff didn't even really remember how he'd come to the conclusion. He could remember talking to Professor Whitman and then the call to Pierce and then the _trip_ to Pierce's house and then he had been at the airport. That was all there had been. No reflection on whether or not it should be happening, no letting Shirley talk him out of it. For Christ's sake, he hadn't even packed a bag. What the hell had he been thinking? That Annie would see the gesture as romantic and fall into his arms, forgive him immediately for every transgression she'd witnessed of him in the last year?

Well, kind of. Yeah.

Even now, lying thirty feet away from her, Jeff couldn't be sure what would have happened had she been receptive to him. No, that was a lie. He would have relished the fact that he'd had the ability to make her like him despite everything. He would have taken advantage of the situation and they would have been back at square one. No, he was going to have to do this differently. He _would_ do it differently.

Right.


	15. Chapter 15

Annie glared at her own reflection, bleary-eyed and only partly awake. Her face cracked as a yawn grabbed hold of her, stretching and marring her features. Lifting her hairbrush even seemed like too much work this morning. Her body was physically protesting to being rousted from bed without any amount of rest.

Her body could suck it.

Lying in bed longer wouldn't mean rest, it would just mean more thinking. And Annie had decided around three in the morning that more thinking was decidedly not what she needed. Her eyes landed glassily on her exposed shoulder. At least Rich had been right about the previous day's sunburn. Her skin now had a golden hue to it, which contrasted with the sallow color of her overly-tired face. There was only so much that make-up could do really.

What the heck was he doing in Italy?

He'd implied that Pierce had sent him, the same as he'd sent she and then Rich. However, Annie knew Pierce well enough to know that he wouldn't have been able to send Jeff without calling and taking credit for that superb twist on her idyllic vacation. Maybe he'd done it just to make her uncomfortable? Well, she knew why she wanted Jeff to have shown up, but there was every reason to believe that actually thinking in that general direction would end up hurting her more than she already admittedly was. There was no way he was there for her.

So why wouldn't that idea disappear?

Annie reached for her toothbrush and turned the faucet on, running the brush under the cold water. She would just have to talk to Pierce today. He would have an answer for her. Annie resented the idea that Pierce somehow had this much control over her psyche from half a world away. She was giving him power that he didn't actually have. Of course, she _could_ always just march across the hallway and demand an answer from Jeff. But, what would that really accomplish? Wasn't every third word out of his mouth a lie anyway?

She didn't realize that he was in the doorway until he knocked on the door jamb and she jumped about seventeen feet into the air, toothpaste foam dribbling down her chin in the process. "Sorry," Jeff said sheepishly. His voice was still raspy with sleep and Annie barely acknowledged him before going back to her tooth brushing. "Have you been up long?" he asked as he stepped into the room without invitation, resting his butt against edge of the vanity. One of his large hands came up to rub tiredly at the back of his neck before scratching through his genuinely mussed hair. He clearly still hadn't bathed at all and was still in the same wrinkled clothes he'd shown up in the night before. The overall effect probably should not have been as appealing as it was. Annie shook herself and tried to focus on her oral hygiene. Was it the Star Spangled Banner that you were supposed to hum while brushing?

Jeff had completely thrown her routine off, in almost every possible way.

How irritating.

"How did you sleep?" Jeff asked, trying again to garner a response from her. Annie narrowed her eyes in determination before leaning over the sink and spitting with gusto.

"Great," she stated with more force than she needed to, judging by Jeff's reaction. His sleepy eyes widened slightly before narrowing. He opened his mouth to respond, but closed it quickly. Annie turned her eyes on him warily, daring him to question her.

"So I need to go buy clothes," he finally said haltingly. "Because I cannot spend any more time than I have to in clothes that belong to Pierce." Annie let a tiny chuckle escape her lips despite her best effort. "There are _leisure _suits in the closet," Jeff added, pointing in the direction of his room.

"So, what happened to your suitcase?" Annie asked mostly curiously and only partly suspiciously.

Jeff furrowed his brow. "The…the airline lost it," he replied after a moment's hesitation.

"And…you're not freaking out?" she questioned skeptically, raising one eyebrow up at him. She saw a change in Jeff's expression, somehow softening, and felt a tug at her stomach. Disappointed in herself at being so easily moved by something from him that probably- _definitely_ didn't mean anything, Annie cleared her throat and turned away from him to busy herself with collecting the bathing suit she'd left out to dry the prior afternoon.

"I've already had a glass of wine this morning," Jeff cracked lightly before clearing his throat. "I was um…I was hoping that you would…" He exhaled and Annie watched him work his jaw for a moment in silence before he spoke again. "If you would come with me?"

What?

"You just probably know your way around better than I would," Jeff rushed on to explain, lest Annie actually think it was him wanting to spend time with her. No, there was no threat of that.

Awesome.

She exhaled slowly, attempting to gauge her id before making that decision. He was asking her to spend the day with him in Rome, days after he had completely… refused her in a totally heinous fashion. Annie had said they would be friends no matter what, but she hadn't really expected him to cash in on that promise so quickly, so heedlessly. "Sure," she finally answered with a nod, and wasn't surprised to realize that she didn't know if the nod was to convince him or herself. Jeff reared his head back, eyes widening, clearly taken aback by her giving in so quickly. Annie pursed her lips and waited for him to respond in some way. She had actually managed to render him speechless. "I mean, I don't have-"

"No no no," he cut her off, standing from his leaning position to approach her. Annie shrank back from him and he froze. "I was just…" He shook his head before pausing to look at her. She felt that same strangling sensation she'd had the night before and bit her lip, averting her eyes from his. "No, yeah. Okay. Great." She hazarded a glance back to him to find him smiling at her almost enigmatically. Annie gave him a tight smile. "Okay, so I am going to go and embrace personal hygiene and then we can go?" Jeff raised an eyebrow toward her, waiting for confirmation. She nodded. "Right," he said before giving her a once over that made her stomach squirm rather startlingly. "New dress?"

She froze before looking down at herself.

Annie had pulled the new cerulean halter dress from the closet that morning and put it on without much thought beyond 'Camilla says this looks good on me'. It dipped lower in the back than Annie really felt comfortable with, but she had every intention of putting a light cardigan over it anyway. "Yes," she murmured, meeting his gaze unsurely.

Jeff cleared his throat. "It looks…." He trailed off, trying to find a word. Annie dipped her head slightly, waiting for him to finish his thought. "…really good," Jeff finally decided on and she blinked at him in confusion as he retreated from the bathroom.

What was happening?

He had said no, hadn't he?

No, worse than that. He'd said not a _thing_ and had just assumed she would know that it _meant _no. She had asked and he had ignored her and now he was showering across the hall. In Italy. There were some serious steps missing from the picture. She knew Jeff had wanted to speak to her last night, had come looking for her to make himself feel better for whatever messed up reasoning he had figured out in his own giant head. And eventually, at some point down the road, she might actually be okay with hearing why he had done , but she was pretty sure today was not that day. If Jeff was fine with continuing to keep her just close enough to him to make her unsteady, then Annie was fine with him feeling uncomfortable with his own conscience.

When she could think of no other reasons to loiter in the bathroom, Annie stalked down the stairs, her heels clicking lightly against the marble as she went. She made her way to the kitchen and was not surprised at all to find Rich at the counter in an apron. It did throw her slightly however, to find Camilla and Kevin sitting at the counter, chatting over cups of coffee. Did they seriously just let themselves in? Readying herself as well as she could, Annie straightened her shoulders and stepped into the kitchen.

"Annie!" Rich greeted her, being the first to notice her as always. "Good morning." He gestured with a spatula toward the neighbors. "Camilla and Kevin just stopped over to say 'hi' and I decided that we needed some caramel rolls." She gave him a small smile before turning her attention to Camilla, who had risen from her seat to approach Annie.

"And she's wearing one of the new outfits," Camilla noticed, circling the younger woman like a vulture. Annie felt her back straighten even more, lifting her head as gracefully as she could manage. "Lovely," Camilla finally decided. "Doesn't she look good, Kevin?"

Annie waited for her husband's creepy gaze to wash over her before she allowed the full body shudder. "You look amazing," he agreed with a slow nod. "Turn around."

"Kevin, shut up." Camilla came back around to Annie's front and grasped her arms gently. "Except you look slightly…dead in the face." She tilted her head to the side. "What happened to you?"

"Long night," Annie answered, stifling a yawn.

"I have coffee," Rich offered, holding the carafe up to her. Annie nodded mutely and moved toward him, feeling every inch of Kevin's eyes on her ass as she did so.

"So, what are you kids planning for today?" Kevin asked, giving Annie a grin over the top of his coffee mug. Annie glanced toward Rich regretfully. She would now have to explain to the neighbors exactly how much had changed in the last twelve hours.

"Annie, I was wondering if I could use your…" Jeff entered the kitchen in clean clothes that obviously had belonged to Pierce at some point, hair wet and sticking straight up. "…hair dryer?" His eyes darted around the room quickly before landing on Annie questioningly. She nodded, helplessly, unable to convey how much of a lion's den he'd just walked into. Maybe he could make it back out before-

"And who is this handsome man?" the blonde asked as she moved toward him with an unmistakable prowess that made Annie feel queasy.

Kevin cleared his throat from next to Annie. "I _am_ still sitting here, honey."

Camilla brushed him off easily, her eyes never leaving Jeff's form. But instead of enjoying it, the way he did _every_ time a female noticed him, Jeff simply straightened, giving the woman a wary look. "Jeff," he finally answered her slowly, his eyebrows rising when her hand came up to wrap around his bicep. "And you are?"

"Annie," Camilla said in an accusatory fashion as she turned away from Jeff entirely. "How is it that handsome men keep finding you all the way across the ocean?" Annie struggled with an answer to that, too confused about how that was happening herself. Thankfully, it had apparently been a rhetorical question, because the next instant, the blonde was spinning back to face Jeff. "You are from…Greendale is it?" she asked and Annie frowned at the back of the older woman's head.

"Yeah?" Jeff replied, matching Annie's frown. "So, hair dryer?" She nodded again silently and Jeff exited the kitchen, leaving behind a metric ton of awkwardness.

"So…" Annie inwardly groaned at the questioning she was going to have to endure now. "He's new." She took of sip of her too hot coffee and nodded demurely.

"Yeah, he showed up last night."

"And we sure were surprised, weren't we Annie?" Rich spoke up from behind her. Annie turned to see him flipping the pan of caramel rolls onto a plate, the rich brown sauce dripping down the sides of the pastries. "I tell you guys, Jeff is a great guy." Annie studiously ignored the blatant stare she was getting from Camilla. "And he actually came to me earlier this year in order to help make him a _better_ guy." At that, he chuckled. "What a cut up."

Wait, what?

Annie had known there was something strange about Jeff and Rich, that there were clearly things about their relationship that she didn't know or understand, but Jeff had what with the what? "Rich," Annie furrowed her brow, worried about the answer to the question she was about to ask. "What do you mean he…he came to you?"

"More importantly," Kevin added. "Is this house just magically producing men for you to have vacation sex with or what?"

"You're not one of them, so it doesn't matter." Camilla gave her husband a stern look before turning her attention to Annie. "Is this Jeff someone you've mentioned before?" Trying to think quickly, Annie shook her head. She didn't think she had mentioned a word about him. Hopefully she hadn't mentioned a word about him. It would be too humiliating for Camilla to confront Jeff with some insane diatribe, naturally following that with running her hands along his abs. "So, two different men have showed up now from back home and neither are the man you are apparently here to get over?" she asked. "Interesting."

Crap.

Okay, so she had mentioned him apparently.

"Oh, no." Rich had come around the counter now, a cup of coffee in his own hand. "It isn't like that Camilla. Trust me, Annie and I being here at the same time is just a coincidence. And last night Jeff basically said the same thing." He took a drink. "I tell you, I think it's great that Pierce is so generous with his money and his home."

"Yeah," Annie chimed in dully. Was it generosity that was responsible for everything that had happened?

Camilla hummed to herself, taking another sip of coffee as Kevin helped himself to a roll, licking his lips in anticipation. Or at least Annie hoped so. Even Rich looked slightly put off by the action though, which made Annie swallow down a chuckle. It was at that point that Jeff re-entered the kitchen, dry hair perfectly mussed. Despite the fact that he was clearly wearing clothes that Pierce had been wearing during the Reagan administration, he still managed to look good, which annoyed Annie for some reason. "Hey," he greeted when he found everyone staring at him blankly.

"Caramel roll?" Kevin asked, holding his up to Jeff. Jeff shook his head slowly before approaching Annie.

"Are you ready?" he asked in a low voice.

"What are you kids doing today?" Camilla asked, her eyes glinting in a way that made Annie uncomfortable.

"The airline lost my luggage," Jeff replied in a tone that told Annie he was uncomfortable too. "So Annie and I are going to go shopping." His gaze shifted to Annie questioningly and she gave a short nod.

"That sounds like fun," Rich piped up from Annie's other side. Her head whipped up to his face and in the next moment, his expression had slackened, his eyes focused on something over Annie's head. "But," he demurred quickly. "But Camilla, you were talking about taking me to the Vatican, weren't you?"

Annie's eyes bounced confusedly from Rich to Jeff to Camilla, who was now grinning widely. "I did say that, yes."

"I wanted to go to the Vatican," Annie heard herself mutter.

Jeff chuckled next to her and Annie scowled up at him. "You're Jewish," he explained slowly, as if she didn't already know that.

"Yes, thank you Jeff." She huffed when she heard Rich titter behind her. "But it's not necessarily about religion, you know? Would you go all the way to Jerusalem and not see the Wailing Wall?"

Jeff blinked in response. "Um, what?

Annie rolled her eyes.

"Why don't we all go shopping with Jeff," Kevin spoke up with a full mouth. "And then we can all go to the Vatican?"

"You weren't invited anywhere," Camilla placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. "No, I think we already have a plan in place." She pointed a perfectly manicured finger toward Rich. "I will take the handsome doctor to see the Vatican, and Jeff and Annie can go shopping for clothes. For him." She smiled. "Alone. Together." Annie cleared her throat loudly, running a hand over her hair.

"Okay," Jeff said after a moment of silence in which the only noise was of Kevin chewing. "So, we need to call for a cab or something? How does this work?" He was glancing between the two women and Annie found Camilla shooting her a meaningful look.

Oh, right.

"Actually," Annie said slowly, drawing Jeff's full attention. "You… don't need to do that at all."

She stepped forward, jerking her head for him to follow her. They trooped silently out to the garage, and when Annie slid the door open, Jeff whimpered loudly before exhaling in worship. "Holy crap." She watched as he stepped forward slowly, reverently and placed one palm onto the hood of a red Lamborghini. "And we get to drive these?" he asked and Annie rolled her eyes at how much this seemed to affect him. What was it with guys and cars?

"Yes, Jeff." She sighed. "They're just cars, you drive them."

"Have you driven one?" Jeff inquired, looking over the entire stock.

"Yeah," Annie replied. "The yellow…um, is it a Ferrari?" she asked, pointing toward the car she had driven only the previous day. Had that only been yesterday?

His eyes landed on her sharply, imploringly and Annie felt a heat whip through her stomach. "How was it? Was it like having really good sex?"

"I don't know," Annie shrugged and watched as Jeff stilled completely.

Had she seriously just said that?

"I… have to go grab my sweater," Annie managed to get out quietly. "All the keys are on the wall," she instructed, pointing toward the box they were kept in. "I'll…be right back."

Jeff gave her a slight nod, eyes still glassy. Annie cringed the second her back was to him. What the hell? That was the most pathetic thing she could have possibly said. Well, no she could have asked what sex _was_. That would have been a tiny bit more embarrassing, she guessed. She swept back into the kitchen to find Camilla and Kevin still at the island.

"He's the one, isn't he?" Camilla asked, wasting no time at all. Annie sighed.

"He is a tall drink of water," Kevin offered, raising his coffee mug toward her. Annie moved on as quickly as she could, taking the stairs two at a time to get to the second landing. Her cardigan was slung across the foot of her bed where she'd forgotten it that morning. Grabbing that and her purse from the dresser, Annie took a deep breath and exited the room again.

Where she literally ran into Rich.

"Whoa," he said, grabbing her bare arms gently. "I thought you guys already left."

"Just now," Annie smiled, pointing down the stairs. She licked her lips, worrying one between her teeth. "Rich, earlier you were saying that you were giving Jeff lessons on…being a better…" she swallowed, "man."

Rich nodded. "Yeah, well they didn't last all that long though."

Annie furrowed her brows in confusion. "When did all this happen?"

The doctor frowned in concentration. "I think…yeah, it was. It was right after I got outvoted for your study group." He nodded his head. "The same night I think." With a thoughtful scratch of his chin, Rich continued. "Yeah, it was definitely that night. Because you had just asked…" He trailed off, his face coloring. Annie was floored. Jeff had gone to Rich the same night she'd confronted him in the bathroom at school. Had gone to Rich for help with…what? Being a better man? What did that mean?

Remembering herself, Annie shook her head, giving Rich a halfway smile. "I have to get back down there," she explained with a point of her finger before rushing back down the stairs, roughly six hundred and thirty-seven thoughts running through her head at once.

Why, if he hated Rich did he go to him for advice on anything?

Why had he kept it from everyone?

Why did Rich remember so clearly that it had been the same night _he'd_ turned her down?

Annie stepped out into the sunlight and remembered belatedly that she hadn't grabbed her sunglasses. Jeff was waiting in the circular drive that all immense houses seemed to have. His eyes were closed as he apparently focused on the vibrations the car was making. "Would you two like to be alone?" she asked sardonically when she reached the driver's side door. Jeff's eyes slid open to peer at her.

"Not right now," he answered with a smirk. "But I might be overcome later." Annie rolled her eyes and hurried around the front of the car as gracefully as she could before settling next to him in the passenger seat. "No head scarf?" he asked as he put the car into drive.

"It didn't work for Bridget Jones," Annie responded with a shake of her head and let her lips quirk up slightly when Jeff chuckled.

The drive into Rome was spent in silence as the scenery whipped past them quickly. Jeff alternately stroked the steering wheel lovingly and rested a hand gently on the dashboard. Annie only let her eyes linger on his strong capable-looking fingers for one long moment before turning her head away and keeping her focus on the Italian countryside.

Well, at least her outward focus.

Her head was too full of ideas, all vying for attention at the forefront of her brain. Things just got more and more confusing for her, though. Jeff was in Italy, but she didn't know why, didn't dare ask. He didn't have anything with him. Was he really the victim of crappy _baggage handling_? If that was what had happened, he was really extremely calm about it. And now there was this whole thing with Rich. She had told Jeff she was going to ask Rich on a date, to which he had refused to respond. Then, the same night, the very same night Rich had turned her down, Jeff had…what? Gone to Rich's house to ask him how to be a better man?

Did that mean he thought Rich was a great guy for… telling her no?

That's what it seemed like.

By the time Jeff slowed down at the outskirts of the city, Annie finally acknowledged him again. She gave directions as well as she could from the little memory she had and Jeff jockeyed the small sports car into a parking space at the metro station. He bought tickets and they boarded, still without really talking to each other. Several times, Annie thought she felt his eyes on her, but every time she glanced up, she would see she'd been wrong, that he'd been looking at strangers, scenery, and one time, his own reflection in the window. It actually wasn't until there were fully immersed in the heart of Rome, elbow-deep in Armani, that Annie really even spoke to Jeff again.

He was standing in front of a three-way mirror, checking out his own ass in a pair of jeans.

Who did that other than in the privacy of their own bathroom?

"Do these look okay?" he asked without even glancing up from his reflection. It was at this point that Annie snapped.

"Jeff," she muttered angrily. "You're an Adonis. Everything looks good on you." His eyes met hers, and she wanted to step toward him and wring his neck for the expression on his face. He almost looked… was that happy? He was happy that he was irritating her with his unique combination of egotism and crippling insecurity. Annie crossed her arms over her chest, shifting all of her weight to one foot and cocking out the opposite hip to give the appearance of as much attitude as she could muster. "I'm going to the bookstore across the street," she announced and spun to leave.

"Be careful," Jeff called to her and Annie glanced back at him to find that he was actually being serious.

She sighed. "I promise to look both ways before crossing the street, dad." Not waiting to enjoy the aftermath of that comment, Annie made her exit out of the high-end store and out to the streets. All around her, people swept past her, intent on their day to day business in the Eternal City. She slipped into the book store down the block from where she'd left Jeff, perusing the shelves. The selection was unlike anything Annie had ever seen. No 'Far Side' books, no 'Rachael Ray' cookbooks, no copy of Paris Hilton's autobiography. She picked up a copy of 'Divina Commedia' and opened it up without really seeing the words at all.

Did he have to be so self-involved? He could give his Jeff-related charm a rest for a while, couldn't he? Maybe it was all connected to why he was there? She might just have to suck it up and ask him. She could do that.

Probably.

"Are the books all in Italian?" he asked, sidling up to her with several shopping bags in his hands.

She rolled her eyes up at him, still feeling irritated by the sight of him, now decked out in several hundred dollars worth of designer brand names. "Yes, Jeff. We're in Italy."

He narrowed his eyes, studying her curiously for a moment before reaching into the pocket of his jacket. "I got you something." With that, he handed her a pair of sunglasses.

They were beautiful, and Annie didn't know much about labels, but she new these were probably expensive. Big lenses, very modern-looking, in a dark brown color rather than black. "Thank you," she offered him with sincerity. He shrugged in return.

"I just noticed that you didn't have any," he replied.

Her fingers slid along the band before glancing down at them. "Jeff," she murmured. "These are Gucci sunglasses."

"I know," he answered slowly, as if she was learning impaired. "I just came from the Gucci store." He turned and pointed in the general direction of the store.

"Jeff, these cost a ton." Annie was already folding them closed again and attempting to hand them back to the tall man. He frowned down at her, shuffling away as if she was a stranger trying to frisk him on the subway.

"Annie, no. Keep them." He opened them easily and then slid them onto her face carefully. "There." Annie looked up at him through the glasses, making his visage very dim in the light of the store. "They look really good," he stated. She gave him a tight smile before returning the book to the shelf and slipping quickly past him and back into the Roman sunlight.

"You hungry?" Jeff asked, catching up to her effortlessly.

Annie shrugged, looking at him sideways. "What did you have in mind?"

"Food, Annie."

They found a charming restaurant not far away, and were seated at an outdoor table immediately. After some shaky Italian (from her) and some American attitude (from him), Annie found herself sitting across from Jeff and cursed the gentle flap of butterfly wings against her rib cage.

She could _do_ this.

"Jeff." She licked her lips nervously and almost let her nerves get the best of her when he looked at her. Why was he looking at her like that? Crap, what was she going to ask again? "What's the deal with you and Rich?" Annie finally settled on when she realized that she'd said his name and then proceeded to stare at him blankly for the better part of a minute.

"What?" he asked, clearly confused judging by the way his face scrunched up.

"I mean, I was just…" She trailed off, shaking her head to try and clear it. "Rich was saying something this morning about him training you to…" Annie watched him, waiting for some sort of realization to set in on his face.

Yep, there it was. It was equal parts embarrassment and annoyance. It took exactly 1.2 seconds for him to grab hold of his genuine emotion and beat it back into submission, leaving his face deliberately blank and quizzical. "Oh," he answered in a breezy manner that made Annie's teeth ache from clamping her mouth shut so tight. "That was just…" He raised his eyebrows. "A joke."

"A joke," Annie repeated, her eyes narrowing.

"Yeah," he replied, latching onto the idea. "We were doing a kind of Mr. Myagi thing." The next moment, Jeff rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Sorry, that was a reference to-"

"I saw the remake," she responded flatly. "With Jackie Chan."

"Awesome," he shot out, meaning anything but.

"So," Annie continued before taking a deep breath. "This isn't…" She bit her lip. "Are you here because of Rich?"

Say no!

Please?

Jeff's eyes widened before swallowing slowly. Annie almost heard the 'gulp' noise. "Um, could you be more specific?" he asked with hesitation.

"No," she said with a shake of her head. Their food arrived and they ate in awkward silence. She didn't even bother to try to make eye contact with him. He was there because of Rich, for one reason or another. He couldn't even give her a real answer to that question. Seriously, how backwards was he anyway? It wasn't as if he had flown across the ocean just because he'd found out that the doctor was there with her. Things were never that easy.

Were they?

Annie looked up at him stridently and Jeff froze, caught in the act of watching her. His head tipped to the side in question and Annie felt a tumbling sensation in her stomach. It was slightly exhilarating. "Did you come because you were jealous of Rich being here?" she asked quietly and Jeff inhaled sharply. "Was that specific enough for you?"

He nodded slowly. "That was….pretty specific, yeah." He glanced down at his plate, eyebrows furrowing in what seemed like distress. "Annie…"

But it wasn't an exhilarating tumbling sensation. It was falling. And it was terrifying. They had to friends because Jeff didn't care about being anything more. Remember? Annie couldn't stop the strange noise that emitted from the back of her throat. Jeff paused in his thought, giving her a look of aggravation tinged with concern. Before he could speak again, his phone chimed from his pocket and he pulled it out to read a text. "Shit," he muttered before dialing a number, now ignoring her entirely. Annie watched as he squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the call to connect. "Hey," he greeted in a brittle tone. "Listen, don't…don't come over." Jeff's eyes darted up to look at her for an instant and Annie frowned at him, confused. "Because I'm not there?" He paused and then rolled his eyes. "No, Troy. I didn't get luck- no. I'm just not there."

Annie felt her breath freeze in her lungs.

Did nobody know he was in Italy?

"No," Jeff spoke up sharply. "Because I don't want Chang going through my stuff." He sighed deeply. "Troy, you have to know someone else who owns a set of dumbells." Annie was completely transfixed by what was happening across the table from her. "What kind of movie are you two making anyway?" She watched his jaw tighten. "Yeah, my toe is fine. " Beat. "Yeah, go ahead." Beat. "I…don't know when I'll be home, okay? Bye," he grumbled out before ending the call. Did she dare comment on it? His eyes landed on her cautiously, as if waiting for her to start peppering him with questions.

Questions he had no actual interest in really answering.

"I…" Annie watched as Jeff sucked in a breath. "…might want some tiramasu," she finished lamely.

Jeff's expression hardened and then disappeared. He was back to Jeff Face Number One: Apathy.

"Okay," he said quietly after a moment. She watched him return to his food, feeling knots multiply in her stomach by the second.

"Thank you for the sunglasses," she murmured and tried to ignore the flicker of something in his eye when he glanced up at her again.

"No problem."


	16. Chapter 16

Pick up, pick up, pick up!

"Bennett household."

Oh. Crap.

Jeff cringed, running a hand through his hair. "Hey, Andre. It's…Jeff." He shook his head, trying to think of a way to bail on the phone call.

"Hey," the other man answered.

"Sorry to call so late," Jeff continued before pausing to look at his watch. "It is late there, right?" he asked.

Andre chuckled. "Um, it's about eleven-thirty. So, yeah." Jeff gave a nod that Andre couldn't see. "What…time is it there?"

Jeff froze. Shit. He had totally given himself away, and he'd done it so thoughtlessly too. "Seven-thirty in the morning," Jeff finally responded. "Is Shirley there?"

"She, uh…she just went to bed, man." There was a slightly apologetic tone to it. "I can tell her you called though."

"Yeah," Jeff said flatly. "Thanks."

Rather than hanging up, Andre sat on the line for a moment longer. "Um, Jeff. I know this isn't any of my business…but is everything okay?"

Jeff shook his head. "Yeah." He furrowed his brow. "So, I'm assuming you know what's going on?" His voice went up slightly at the end, signifying a question, although Jeff knew better than to have any doubt about it.

Andre sighed. "Kind of. Shirley doesn't really know how to keep things to herself," he stated. "She's kind of a pot-stirrer."

A humorless chuckle left Jeff's mouth. "I've heard." He sighed. "So, she knows where I am then?"

"Everyone knows, Jeff. It's all over Twitter."

What? "Who…?"

"Pierce," Andre filled in. Jeff closed his eyes. How had he not figured that Pierce would blab about it the second Jeff got on the plane? Of course Pierce had told the entire Greendale population via the internet about his recent rash decision.

Rash? Was that the right word?

Stupid?

Not quite…

Baffling?

Yeah, that was it. The choice to get on a plane and fly to Italy was a baffling one. He'd been thinking about it more than he would admit to anyone, even at knifepoint, but he still wasn't completely sure what had actually happened to his brain. Obviously, it had _something_ to do with Annie, he wasn't totally clueless. He just couldn't figure out much past… that. He had just known at the time that he needed to _be _there with her. It was about making sure Rich stayed far away from her, but he couldn't really tell if that was out of jealousy or simply his complete dislike for the man. It was about keeping her safe in a foreign country. It just didn't make sense beyond that. Being in the dark in his own head was unnerving. And then there was the problem of actual _her_.

Because Annie had been less than friendly toward Jeff for the most part, playing him hot and cold over the last two days. No, that wasn't accurate. It was more like tepid and freezing. It was like every once in a while, when she recognized she was actually enjoying his company, Annie would shut down her brain and withdraw from him. Jeff just didn't get why they couldn't be _them_ again. Them had been great.

So why did she have to throw everything out of balance?

"Yeah," Andre sighed. "Sorry."

Jeff grimaced. "Is she going to kill me?"

Andre paused. "Shirley is a wonderful woman and the mother of my children and I love her dearly, but…" He sighed again. "She doesn't know when to butt out of other peoples' lives." Jeff exhaled. That hadn't been a 'no'. It had been more of a 'yes, but I don't agree with her decision'. "Sometimes, a man has to do what a man has to do."

"Exactly," Jeff replied.

"So, you and Annie do your thing and Shirley will just have to accept it."

Wait, what?

"No," Jeff corrected. "Annie and I aren't…" Jeff stilled. He didn't know what he and Annie were or weren't anymore. Were they friends now? Were they on speaking terms? She had said the night that he'd gotten there that they would be friends, but had begun progressively pulling away from him since that declaration. Honestly, he would be happy to just get back to America in the same place they'd started the summer, with their friendship intact. Or at least mostly intact.

That's what he would do. He would just focus on being her friend and keeping her close enough to keep an eye on her, should some guitar-playing pottery-making Greg Kinnear circa nineteen ninety- seven wannabe get crazy ideas about her. He would just have to cross that bridge when he came to it.

And that also went for Italian men who hadn't learned about personal boundaries.

Had he been talking to someone?

"….we're just friends," he finished lamely and heard Andre let out a frustrated groan.

"Come on man," he snapped. "I've been pulling for you, I really have. I don't want to have to tell my wife that she's right. She gets this gleam in her eye-" Andre stopped suddenly. Jeff heard a muffled noise on the other end and pulled his phone away from his ear, glaring at the readout screen, as if that would tell him anything. "I'm sorry," Andre muttered.

"Wha-"

"Jeffrey," Shirley chirped sweetly a moment later, making Jeff's blood run cold. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Shirley," he answered. He was already mentally bracing himself for whatever 'Jesus can still save you' rant he was going to get. Then he froze. Why had he actually called? He'd called because he was… messed up in the head. He needed to know that he hadn't ruined their group dynamic, caused his ( he would probably deny it if asked) family to implode by going after Annie in a yet-to-be defined way. A maybe never-to-be defined way.

Wait.

He'd just decided he wasn't going after her, hadn't he? Did he want to go after Annie? Well, yes. Of course. She was a smart, gorgeous twenty year-old. If she wasn't one of his best friends, he would have already slept with her and promptly forgotten her name. Okay, probably not. She was a little uptight. He would have at least been _trying _a lot harder to sleep with her. There was no hope of that now. Annie had ruined all of that with her stupid friendship.

Yes, this was definitely all her fault.

"Are…we okay?" he asked hesitantly. He narrowed his eyes into the rising sun before turning away and pacing back toward the vineyard again.

"Jeff," Shirley replied. "You know that what matters most to me is you and Annie's happiness." Jeff exhaled gratefully. "If you guys have sorted everything out, then I can't be mad about that. I'm just glad you finally got your head on straight."

"Um…"

"He hasn't talked to her about it yet," Andre piped up from the extension.

"He what now?" Shirley asked, her voice dropping into her scary octave. "What the hell do you think you are doing, boy?"

"Could you stop yourself from turning into a total cliché for just a second?" Jeff grumbled.

"Watch yourself," her husband warned and Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Jeffrey," Shirley said in a brittle tone. "You sat in my kitchen less than a week ago and proceeded to eat three pounds of cookie dough and talk to me about that girl." Jeff frowned at the memory. "I mean, do you honestly think you're subtle when you do these kinds of things?"

"She won't let me explain wha-"

"Please," she cut him off. "Do you think she doesn't know what happened? That she doesn't know what you're going to say to her?" Jeff exhaled. "Of course she doesn't want to talk about it, Jeff. The poor girl is embarrassed." He let his eyes narrow. "And if you _still_ don't understand why you're there, you're just causing more problems by talking about it."

His brain was literally hurting him.

Shirley thought he…what, was in love with Annie? Was that the only option here? Was there no in between place where he cared about her friendship and occasionally had dreams about her in various states of undress, lecturing him on things like recycling or punnet squares or the artistry of 'Twilight'? That didn't seem quite fair. Throwing his head back in frustration, Jeff groaned inwardly. "Shirley, I am no-" He froze then, his angry gaze landing on what was happening in the kitchen at that moment. "I gotta go," he said abruptly before ending the call and rushing toward the patio door. He paused, counting to twenty. Slowly, he stepped into the house and surveyed the scene before him, allowing his sudden and not _entirely_ coherent hatred to ebb slightly.

Annie stood in front of the stove, giggling softly.

Sergio stood directly behind her, arms wrapped around her form as if he was trying to teach her how to tee off. What was that story about the guy who chopped up the man and hid him under the floor boards? That guy gave himself away because of his guilt, though. Jeff was pretty sure he wouldn't feel any guilt about hiding this guy's body, but was worried the floors in the house were too solid to dig up.

"Morning," Jeff greeted as cheerily as he could. They turned in tandem, the surprised look on Annie's face a counter-balance to the easy charm that came from Sergio.

"Giotto," the greasy Italian greeted him happily. "You are up very early." He gestured toward Annie with a tilt of his head because his _arms were still around her_. Belatedly, Jeff noticed the pan clutched in Annie's grasp. "I was just teaching Anna the correct way to flip an omelet." He brought their joined hands up to show Jeff. Jeff smiled the widest fakest grin he could manage.

"Wow," he said brightly with an exaggerated nod. "That's great."

Jeff tightened his jaw so much he thought his teeth might crack. He watched as Sergio rotated the pan carefully, his hips and _Annie's_ hips both rotating to match it. "And then you flip," the chef instructed as he forced the pan upward. Annie squealed and then a moment later was covered with partially cooked egg. "Anna, bellisima!" Sergio cried as he stepped away from her to survey the damage. "Are you okay?" he asked.

But Annie was laughing now, looking down at herself. She brought a slimy yellow hand up to her chest, dropping a yolky handprint onto her shirt. "I'm fine," she finally gasped out. "I'm great." She turned to grin at Sergio and Jeff felt a wave of irritation at the idea that he might as well not even be in the room with them. "I'm just going to go change," she continued before making her exit.

To his credit, Jeff did wait about four full seconds before trailing after her. She was already on the second step when he decided to speak. "Hey," he said, causing her to turn around and appraise him critically. "So, I didn't know you were so into cooking."

"He's teaching me," she responded, immediately on the defensive. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Are we really going to do this?"

"Do what?" Jeff shot back. Annie rolled her eyes at him and turned to continue stomping up the stairs. Jeff sighed, feeling his ire rise more quickly than it usually did when around this woman. Did she have to be such a drama queen about everything all the time? She loved being able to act overly hurt or angry and then have things come to a spectacular end of some kind. It was almost the same illness that Abed seemed to have, of trying to create stories where stories didn't exist.

Well, okay. This time she kind of had a point.

Setting his jaw, Jeff followed her up the stairs and slunk toward the doorway to her room, which she'd left open. Because she _knew_ he would follow her. Groaning inwardly at that, Jeff planted himself against her door jamb and watched her silently. Annie's back to was to him. He took a breath. "Egg yolk is really bad for you anyway," he ventured carefully. Annie turned to face him, her eyes cold.

"Then I guess it's a good thing that it doesn't absorb through the skin," she shot back tightly. He watched closely as her hands rose to the top button of her shirt. "What do you want, Jeff?" Her voice was irritated, but there was also a feeling of exhaustion to it that made Jeff want to step forward and gather her into his arms.

Instead, he smirked at her. "Just trying to get some tips on making a healthy breakfast." This was good. If he was charming enough, she might forget she was mad at him.

"You mean for all the random women you make breakfast for before kicking them out of your apartment?" Annie asked and Jeff grinned at her in spite of himself. She really was a spit-fire.

Or something that sounded _less _like his grandfather.

"They don't get breakfast," Jeff replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as he waited for her reaction. He found himself slightly disappointed when all she did was shake her head at him. Annie pursed her lips in thought for a moment before beginning to actually unbutton her shirt. "Um," he said a second later, standing to his full height. She raised her eyebrows at him in a challenging manner, opening her shirt completely. Trying desperately to keep his eyes on her face, Jeff let his mouth quirk up on one side. "Ms. Edison, you're trying to seduce me."

She let out a frustrated groan that he felt roll across his stomach and lower. He slouched back against the door jamb and crossed his arms over his chest to distract from his problem. "Jeff," she said in a low voice. "Just to refresh your memory, I said I was going to come up here and change and your response to that was to follow me to my room." She tipped her head to the side, eyes narrowing dangerously before she dropped her shirt altogether. "So, who should be the one on trial here?"

Holy crap.

She was using law metaphors.

She was taking off her clothes and using law metaphors.

Jeff gritted his teeth before swallowing down the wave of desire that washed over him. He absolutely could not move farther into her room. He gestured toward her with a wave of the arm. "And yet, only one of us is standing here half naked."

The challenging smile slid off of Annie's face. Crap. He could actually see the light leave her eyes. No, he wanted flirty awesome Annie back. How could he get her back? "I'm not doing this, Jeff." Her voice was determined. She shook her head. Jeff held onto his breath, trying not to focus on the tightness across his chest.

"Doing what?" he asked robotically.

Annie surveyed him silently for a moment before letting her forehead wrinkle. "This whole…"she waved her hand between them, " little adorable…_thing_ that you do with _everyone_." Jeff shot her a knowing smile, pleased with himself.

"You think I'm adorable."

Annie just stared at him. "Why are you here?" she asked sharply. Jeff felt his smile disintegrate and had to swallow over the lump in his throat. "Was it just because of Rich?"

"Yes," he answered before cringing at the expression on her face. "I mean, it wasn't totally about that." He moved toward her and watched as Annie stepped back from him, still topless. His eyes darted down to her ample cleavage, encased in a pretty astounding red bra. God, that was always there under those uptight little cardigans? Her chest jumped at her sharp intake of breath and Jeff snapped his eyes back up to her face. She frowned deeply at him before turning her back to him. He found himself staring at her mostly naked back and felt his jaw slacken. Before he really had a chance to appreciate the lines of her body, she was covering herself with a clean shirt and spinning back to face him.

"Wasn't totally about that," Annie repeated, crossing her arms over her chest, more defiant now. Did she get her power from her clothes? "So, if you had never found out Rich was here, would you have come?"

Um…shit. There was no wiggle room there.

She was very good.

Despite the situation, Jeff felt an unmistakable flash of admiration shoot through him, making his tongue almost buzz with its intensity. "No," he replied honestly, bracing himself for her kicked puppy face. What he got was much worse. She actually looked…understanding, resigned almost.

"Well," she breathed out, now instantly back in her overly-bright voice. "Then I hope you two will be very happy together." She smiled up at him tightly before striding past him. Jeff turned on his heel instantly to follow her out of the room.

"Cute," he grinned down at her and Annie rolled her eyes up to him. "So, we're okay?"

She stilled at the top of the stairs and huffed in a way he tried not to find endearing. "Jeff, we are as good as we ever are." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We talk without saying anything, have conversations without actually getting to the root of the problem, argue without resolving anything." She dropped her hands to her hips. "Lather, rinse, repeat." She shrugged. "Right?"

Why couldn't she understand the situation she kept trying to shove him into? It was like there was only one place for him in her social itinerary and if he didn't want to be her steady boyfriend, she didn't have time for him at all. How was that fair? She was friends with Abed without having rules and parameters and expecting more. Well, except for the time she apparently made out with him. Wait, why had she done that? He still didn't know.

"You're unbelievable," she muttered a moment later and Jeff realized belatedly that he'd asked the last part in his outdoor voice. He watched her move down the stairs with purpose before catching up to her. "And the most ridiculous part is you already know why." Annie's voice was accusatory.

"I do?" he asked, furrowing his brow. He couldn't remember having heard why they had actually… He shook the image from his head. Those thoughts gave him the urge to fly back to Greendale just to kick Abed in the shins really hard. The guy had tiny legs. They might actually snap. That was at least part of the problem. The idea of Abed 's lips on Annie's made him want to physically harm one of his best friends.

Annie was right, he was unbelievable.

Unless she had meant it in an awesome way, but Jeff really didn't think so.

Was he jealous of the idea of her kissing Abed? Or Rich? Or Sergio? Or any other living breathing mammal? Yes. Fine. _He_ wanted to kiss her. Kissing Annie was fun. Fun and easy. Well, sometimes it was easy. Sometimes it led to broken noses and broken engagements.

"-and anyway, it's all irrelevant now anyway. Right?" Oh, crap. Had she been talking this entire time? And now she was asking him a question. Jeff had to play this very carefully.

He nodded slowly, trying to gauge her reaction. When she gave nothing away at first, he fully committed to it. "Yes, right." She gave a tight nod in response and Jeff felt a sinking feeling in his gut. She was giving him her Resolve face. She was swallowing down and next would come the moving forward and-

"You're twenty," he spit out, surprising even himself. As far as random outbursts went, it was one of his stranger ones. The panic had made him do it. That was a good excuse, right?

Annie sucked her lips into her mouth before replying. "I actually know that, Jeff."

"I mean… you're...great, but-"

"Twenty," she nodded sardonically.

Jeff winced slightly. "Yeah." He sighed. "It's not what you wanted to hear."

Annie smiled ruefully to herself. "It never is." She shrugged self-consciously and Jeff shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from wrapping them around her small form. "Did you know that I've never once been chased by a guy?" She glanced down the staircase, talking more to herself than to him now. "I've always been the one going after guys. I never thought I really had that much to offer and I've seen what happened to my mom after my dad left, and didn't want to end up alone with no one caring about me." She sighed. Jeff felt something short out in his brain, jolting him into a sense of total awareness.

He was going to kiss her.

Yes. He was. Screw the deal he'd made with Pierce, he was going to kiss the crap out of her and damn the consequences. She wanted him to kiss her. Right?

It was kind of unsettling that he wasn't even freaking out about it.

Just had to lean down and-

"But I…think I'm done." Jeff froze halfway down to her and straightened up the second her eyes flew up to meet his. She was nodding again, convincing herself of something she'd already decided on, the way Annie did. "It's time for some guys to chase _me_."

The silence that stretched between them there on the staircase seemed to last forever. Jeff didn't know what to say to that. How did she always manage to throw him? He cleared his throat. "Well," he finally stated. "It sounds like you've got a plan then. Good luck with that." His voice sounded low and flat to his own ears and it must have to Annie's too, because she looked up at him, that tiny wrinkle between her eyebrows. It smoothed out an instant later and her smile was present, if not real.

"Yes," she responded with levity. "And my first act is allowing Sergio to seduce me." She actually flipped her hair toward him as she descended the rest of the stairs, solo this time.

What the…?

Had she really just _said_ that?

Jeff's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glaring after Annie's retreating figure the entire time. Text from Britta. Oh, this would be awesome.

_You unbelievable douche. If you try to fuck her now, I will kill you._

Jeff groaned loudly before putting his thumbs to work answering her.

_I know. You won't have to work on an alibi._


	17. Chapter 17

Annie stared ahead in wide-eyed wonder.

Cobble-stone streets, all charmingly crammed full of stuff, wound down between stucco buildings that held the likes of little chocolate shops and boutiques that sold handmade boots. "Whoa," Jeff remarked, eyes narrowed into the sun.

"I know," Annie gushed in response. "It looks like a postcard!"

She grinned widely before moving forward, taking in everything with giant amazed eyes. They walked in companionable silence, arms brushing every few feet. "So," he finally said after several minutes. "What do you have in mind today?" She had wandered down to the living room that morning to find Jeff sprawled on the couch, watching an episode of 'America's Funniest Home Videos' from roughly the year she'd been born. After teasing him gently for several minutes, Annie had summoned all of her courage and asked him if he would be interested in seeing some sights with her. He'd agreed quickly, almost springing up from the couch at the invitation.

She shrugged. "I didn't have anything in mind."

Jeff cocked his head to the side and gave her a suspicious look. "Come on, Annie." She narrowed her eyes. "You and I both know you memorized your guide book." She tried to bite back a smile, but didn't quite manage in time. "Nice try at _not_ seeming anal retentive though."

Once she'd made the conscious decision to just let go of all of the agonizing and worrying over everything associated with Jeff, Annie had been able to actually relax around him, which she hadn't been able to do for a long time. Furthermore, she remembered that she genuinely enjoyed his company. Most of the time at least. He was never going to change, and she could either accept that and take what he was offering or continue to push him away by trying to pull him closer and end up losing him altogether. When Annie had laid it out for herself like that, the choice had been a no-brainer. What she ultimately wanted from him wasn't worth risking not having him at all. He would play with her and flirt with her and look at her and be strangely possessive of her and then later shove it all under the umbrella of 'concerned friend' or even worse, 'father figure', but at least Annie now knew that she had the ability to rise above it and enjoy it for what it was. She assumed that was what Britta did at least. She just had to remember to never take any of it too seriously and she would be fine.

What a great plan.

Annie gave him a sheepish half-smile before shaking her head. "Okay, fine." She exhaled, feeling herself relax a little more. "So, I've given it some thought." Jeff grinned at her knowingly. "I want to see the Trevi Fountain."

Jeff squinted down at her. "Are we just going to see every sight from that movie?"

"No," Annie pouted. "But I do want to see that."

"How far away is it?" he asked.

"Couple miles?"

Jeff shrugged one shoulder. "You're the one that's going to be doing it in those shoes." When she'd suggested they take a walking tour of Rome that day, Jeff had stared down at her feet with furrowed brows.

"I can walk in heels," she reiterated slowly.

"I can see that," he offered, giving her body a once over that Annie pretended not to notice. He was flirting with her, right? It wasn't just in her head? It was like the second she'd resolved to ignore it, Jeff could sense her lack of interest and decided he was going to take advantage of it.

How messed up was that?

"Lead the way then," Jeff announced, waving a hand in front of them.

They made their way toward their destination, guided by the Google directions on Jeff's phone. Annie had realized only moments after exiting the car that she'd some how forgotten her phone on her dresser. She'd decided that it was entirely Jeff's fault. He had distracted her with the way his muscles were moving under his black tee shirt. Not that she had any intention of telling him that. See, that was exactly the kind of thing she was supposed to be _not_ focusing on. A woman in a revealing dress walked past them, directing a pointed look at Jeff. Annie turned her face upward to see if he'd noticed. Yes, he definitely had. He actually turned around to look at her for a moment and Annie let a snort escape her. "What?" he asked, facing her with a smirk.

"You're…" She trailed off, not really knowing what he was.

"What?" he repeated, this time seeming even more entertained by how uncomfortable she was. "She seemed really smart."

"Oh my god," she muttered more to herself than to him. "You're so…"

"You're jealous," he sang annoyingly to her under his breath. Annie made a show of huffing at him in response. "Hey, have you noticed that all the women around here seem really…well put together?" Jeff asked.

"Um, no." She shook her head. "Why would I have noticed that?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I won't judge, Annie."

"Jeff, stop being gross." She straightened her back and raised her head indignantly, ignoring his chuckle.

"I'm just saying that they are really…self-sufficient," Jeff shrugged as another woman made eye contact with him. "But they seem a little high maintenance."

Annie laughed at him. "That isn't the pot calling the kettle black at all." She grinned up at him and he returned it easily.

"But, here's the thing." He raised a finger. "These women, like myself, all seem to own their high maintenance status." He overtly eyed a blonde and Annie smacked him on the arm. "They know they're high maintenance and seem to enjoy it." He smiled at the blonde. "It makes them more attractive somehow."

"So you're looking for a girl who is high maintenance?" Annie asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "We have those in America, too."

Jeff shook his head. "American women are almost _all_ high-maintenance in some way, but they pretend they're not."

Annie's mouth dropped open. "Are you telling me that you think we're all deceptive?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Not all women," Jeff clarified. "But, if you're going to try to say that _you're _not…" Annie turned to him, mouth gaping. Jeff smirked. "Okay, let's say you're dating a guy."

"Awesome," she cracked to herself. "Is he cute?"

"No, he's got bacne," Jeff answered quickly and Annie chuckled. "Anyway, so you decide you're going to get a dog."

"I can't have a dog in my apartment," she said with a shake of her head.

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Okay, a cat then."

"I don't like cats."

He ran a hand through his hair in a frustrated fashion and Annie smothered a giggle. Irritating him on purpose was pretty entertaining. "Fish." She did chuckle at that. "You want to get a fish. So, you have him come to the pet store with you. Now, you don't really want or _need_ his opinion. But you do want him there to agree with whatever decision _you_ make." He gave her a knowing glance again and Annie frowned up at him. "And then you make him carry the fish tank up to your crap hole of an apartment."

"Well, you've got the upper body strength," she answered and then winced a second later.

Jeff stilled. "So, now am I your boyfriend in this scenario?"

"No," Annie sputtered after a moment's hesitation. "Why, do you have bacne?"

"I'm smooth, baby." He didn't even bother to glance at her again as he started moving again.

Annie scrunched up her face at the mental image he was creating. "Ew."

"Not in a Ken doll way, Annie."

Before she could reply to that, a flower was being thrust in front of her by an elderly pot-bellied man who had approached them. He waved it at her enticingly and Annie stepped closer to Jeff. He cleared his throat. "Thanks, but I don't think-" The man merely waved the flower at her again, presenting it to her as grandly at he could. Jeff sighed. "Okay, fine." Annie craned her neck to look up at Jeff quizzically and watched him pull his wallet out and hand the man some money. The man's eyes lit up as he handed the flower to Annie and then moved into her personal space and then he was kissing her full on the mouth, his thick mustache rubbing against her upper lip. He pulled away a moment later and then he was moving toward Jeff and she watched as his eyes widened for a split second before he was being kissed by the peculiar Italian flower salesman as well. Annie felt the utter silliness of the moment erupt from her and couldn't get her hand up to her mouth fast enough to stave off the laughter.

Jeff stood rigidly and watched the man retreat before turning to Annie, his eyebrows drawn together. "His breath was actually really good, wasn't it?" Annie grinned down at the stem in her grasp before tearing the majority of it off and tucking the fresh flower behind her left ear. Glancing back up at Jeff uncertainly.

"Does it look…okay?" she asked, hating herself for caring so much about what his answer would be. His eyes met hers evenly and held her gaze. Annie saw something there that made the fluttering sensation return to her stomach. She cleared her throat to try to dislodge it, but was unsuccessful.

"It looks good," he replied without glancing toward it. She turned away from him and continued toward their destination. Jeff followed after a beat, staying quiet for almost a full block before pulling her into a conversation about how Neil and Vicki were definitely dating now. He had apparently walked in on them during paintball, doing something that he wouldn't explain. They went on like this, in surprisingly comfortable conversation with each other until they had reached the fountain.

"Oh, "Annie gasped, taking in the huge structure as they descended to its base. "Abed is just going to kill me."

"Why?" Jeff asked, a slight edge creeping into his voice.

She shook away the phrase 'jealous' that had popped into her head at his tone and crossed her arms over her chest. "I've been filming things for him for some movie he's making and I forgot my phone at the house this morning." She could feel Jeff's eyes on her and chose not to glance up at him. Instead, she focused on the architecture of the fountain. It rose above them, close to a hundred feet in the air. Rich had explained to her the previous night that it was a depiction of Neptune, surrounded by what appeared to be a battle between men and horses in the water. "And this is really cool."

"It is," Jeff agreed with a nod. "But it's also one of the most-filmed sights in this city. Probably not off the beaten path enough for Abed." Annie nodded. "Do you have any idea what kind of movie they're making anyway?" he asked.

"No idea," she responded. "Something involving Italy apparently."

"And my free weights," Jeff added. "Maybe it's some sort of European 'Rocky' thing?"

"Abed isn't that lame." Annie wrinkled her nose and Jeff's eyes clouded at her answer. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Jeff shook his head. "You and Abed." He turned his full attention back to the fountain, Annie's eyes on his profile. A second later, his expression was back to one of practiced disinterest.

"Jeff." Was it even worth saying anything? He would just act like she was nuts for thinking he cared. Whatever, either way it needed to be said. "There is no Abed and me and there never was."

"Except for when you made out with him," Jeff countered, not bothering to look at her.

"You were sleeping with Britta the entire year and still apparently managed to have it mean nothing," Annie shot back, careful to keep her tone light.

"Britta doesn't operate at the same level as you do Annie. She can have sex with guys and not care." Annie didn't know who she was more insulted for, her or her blonde friend. "It's different with you."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "What do you know about the guys I have sex with?"

It sat there between them awkwardly. She was pretty sure what they were talking about now, and it wasn't Abed. It was the whole Sergio seduction, which she'd thrown in Jeff's face in an impulsive moment of juvenility. If she'd given it even a second of thought, she wouldn't have said it at all. If Annie was being even slightly honest with herself, the idea of sleeping with the chef had sunk pretty quickly to the bottom of her brain the second she'd opened the front door of Pierce's mansion to reveal Jeff. "I don't," he finally stumbled out. "I just meant that you and Britta don't react the same way to situations. Britta could kiss Abed for the sake of kissing him."

"But I would have to be deeply in love with someone to kiss them?" Annie inquired, knowing she was pushing him harder than she probably should. "I kiss guys because I want to," she stated, raising her chin. "And I kissed Abed because he was acting like Han which, unless you have forgotten, he called dibs on so _you _wouldn't." The implications of what she had just said hit Jeff belatedly and he turned fully to squint down at her.

"Sorry," he said apologetically.

Annie pursed her lips. "You're apologizing?"

"I know," Jeff answered, rearing his head back. "It's freaking me out, too."

"Jeff apologizing and me without my phone to take a video," Annie murmured, giving him a teasing smile. His face lightened immediately for a second before sliding back toward Jeff Face Number Seven: Mild Joy.

"So, what's the deal with this thing?" Jeff asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and turning to face the fountain. "You're supposed to throw something, right?" Annie pointed toward the group of girls her age who were currently throwing coins over their shoulders into the fountain and Jeff furrowed his brow. "Do you have change?" Annie shook her head, having opted out of carrying a purse for the day. "Well, okay then." He moved toward the group of girls, and Annie could tell from the expressions on the girls' faces that he was in full-on charm mode. She couldn't hear what he said to them, but only half a minute later, he was back with a handful of American change. "They had some."

"Judging by the way they're _still_ looking at you, I would guess they would have given you more than change, Jeff." She gave the group a pointed stare before smiling sardonically up at him.

Jeff's eyes danced for a second. "Are they still looking?"

"Yes," Annie answered with a roll of her eyes.

"So," he went on as he handed off all but a nickel to Annie's waiting palm. "I should really put my booty into this then, huh?" With that, he actually cocked his hip in their direction before throwing the coin over his shoulder. It landed just inside the rim of the pool and Annie nodded approvingly. "I can get it farther than that," he said as he reached into Annie's waiting hands for a penny. He flipped it over his shoulder and it sailed past the last one, several feet into the fountain.

"Due!" A frail woman with age spots on her exposed arms moved toward them quickly. What was with the stereotypical Italian people that kept approaching them? "Due monete nuovo amore!" Annie stared at her, trying to decipher what the woman was saying. Okay, two. Two something…new…love? Annie's eyes widened and the woman nodded her head emphatically.

"No," Annie announced, shaking her head before thrusting the handful of coins at a bewildered Jeff. "No, no, no."

"What the hell is going on?" Jeff asked, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Not important," Annie hissed at Jeff before pulling him away from the woman. Jeff followed her easily, back up the short flight of stairs to the sidewalk.

"Is it you who's making people weird?" Jeff cracked. "At least this one didn't make out with us," he muttered, looking back over his shoulder, causing Annie to chuckle. "So, what next?"

"What do you want to do?" she asked as they ambled forward. "This is your vacation too, after all."

Jeff's eyes darkened for the length of a heartbeat and then he was shrugging his shoulders amiably. "You're the activities director here," he stated. "I'm just here to look pretty and pay for things." At this, Annie frowned. She wanted to press him on the statement, figure out what it meant.

But that was definitely not part of the great plan.

"We can do that thing," she instead chirped up at him, touching him at the elbow. He shot an unimpressed look down his nose at her and she felt a pout tug at her lips. "You know, we could go to that church and put our hand in the thing." What was the name of that place? Everyone who came to Rome went there. He had to know, right? "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Grimacing slightly, Jeff nodded. "I actually do, which is frightening." He held out one arm in her direction and Annie looked at him confusedly. "I've got short sleeves on though, which means we can't do that bit."

Annie mirrored his position. "I have long sleeves on," she argued back and Jeff scoffed at her.

"What," he joked. "Like you're Gregory Peck in this scenario?" He shook his head slowly. "There is no way you're Gregory Peck."

"So I automatically have to be Audrey Hepburn?" Annie pouted.

"Uh, _yeah_." He regarded her with narrowed eyes. "Between the two of us, you are definitely that character."

"How do you figure?" Annie persisted, crossing her arms over her chest.

His eyes widened dubiously. "You're kidding, right? Annie, it's a young naïve princess named Ann. Is that me?" He raised his eyebrows meaningfully. Annie clenched her jaw to keep from smiling up at him. She would have bet a million dollars she didn't have that Jeff had never seen that movie. It seemed like one he would shun just because it was considered a classic. That was what hipsters did, right? "It's my mom's favorite movie," he added, as if reading her mind and Annie looked up at him, slightly alarmed. "You seemed really troubled that I knew anything about it," he further explained. "So, the Mouth of Truth is out."

"Mouth of Truth!" Annie repeated emphatically, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Settle down." Jeff smirked down at her as they moved farther north, toward the Villa Borghese. The park swept across miles of land, filled with museums and fountains and sculpture. "Okay," Jeff said as they walked slowly through the park. "This is art, but that woman who always dresses like the Mexican flag and walks down Maple Drive flipping people off is trouble?"

"Don't tell me you know that lady," Annie groaned.

Jeff grinned. "I was her lawyer," he replied, drawing another groan from Annie. "Her brother owns the cell store by the Chili's. She exposed herself to the high school cross country team one day and got arrested." He shrugged. "And I was hired to defend her. And I got her off." Something about his tone made Annie's eyes shoot up to his face. The next part of his comment died in his mouth when he took in her facial expression, which Annie would guess was somewhere between 'terrified' and 'homicidal'. Jeff cleared her throat.

"So, she's not as crazy as she seems?" she asked hopefully.

Jeff chuckled. "No, she's nuts. But it's cute that you're trying to find the good in the whacked out woman who spends her time sitting in a law chair by a car wash flashing fifteen year-old girls." Annie smiled, feeling an embarrassed blush stain her cheeks.

Cute.

He thought she was cute. Like babies who were covered in spaghetti or when people put videos up on the internet of their cats yawning? How wonderfully asexual. Not that it mattered, because she wasn't focusing on him or his charm beyond that of a friend. Which had been working fine so far. It was a great plan. And if acting aloof like Britta inadvertently made Jeff realize how he'd missed a great opportunity, then all the better.

No, that wasn't the point of this at all!

What had been the point again?

She couldn't really remember. It had been something about Jeff being an emotionless jerk who didn't deserve her and how it wasn't worth her time or energy to think about him. Which was good in theory, but he was looking at her at that exact moment and her thoughts felt like unset Jello, sloshing around in her head _He _was like unset Jello, spilling all over the place and leaving behind stains.

Annie physically shook herself from her own imminent mental breakdown and let her eyes settle on an area of land that seemed to be filled with small children playing, as people sat by on park benches and watched. The kids seemed to range in age from kindergarten age to middle school age. Making the decision quickly, Annie bent at the waist and unhooked her shoes to step out of them. She straightened back up a moment later, handing the shoes to a puzzled Jeff. Without another word, she hurried forward the group playing tag and was instantly invited into the game.

This was what she needed. A Jeff break. Being around him as much as she had been in the last few days was exhausting. She was constantly holding back her reactions to everything, second guessing every emotion she had and checking to make sure it was harmless and appropriate enough for him. Which is really not how she should have to act at all. He was the one who crashed _her _vacation, right? Annie ran through the grass, feeling exhilarated from the exercise. When she glanced in his direction, she found Jeff's eyes focused on her, sandals still held in his grasp at his side. Realizing she was looking at him, he offered her a slight head nod, which Annie supposed was as close to an overt acknowledgment as she'd ever gotten from him. Putting her head down, she focused on the game, letting the small kids reach her easily and speeding up her steps when the older boys were 'it'.

When the game dissipated, Annie returned to Jeff, breathless but feeling much more clear-headed. When she reached for her shoes, their fingers brushed and Annie felt the zing of electricity tingle through her hand. She didn't glance up at him while she put her shoes back on with slightly trembling fingers, didn't dare.

"So, you're really still going with those shoes then?" he asked, surprise in his voice.

"It's good exercise," Annie defended, finally straightening back up again. "Walking in high heels has been proven to be a great way to work out certain parts of your body." Her hands dropped to her hips. "My legs and butt will thank me for it."

"That old dude over there is thanking you for it right now," Jeff mentioned, motioning behind her. Annie spun toward when Jeff pointed and saw an elderly man on a park bench who was openly staring at her. She brought a hand up to wave unsurely at him and the old man waved back before turning back toward the children.

Great.

She apparently couldn't even hold the attention of an eighty year-old man.

Annie glanced up at Jeff, who tried not to smile at the turn of events he'd just witnessed. "So," he said once he'd gotten a hold of himself. "Did you want to get his number, or….?"

"Come on," she replied, ignoring him with a roll of her eyes. "Could we take a bus?"

Jeff raised his eyebrows at her. "It's fine with me, but do you want to check with your ass first?"

Swallowing down any butt-related remarks she wanted to throw at him, Annie set her face in a practiced glare before leading him to the bus stop, where they boarded without problem and, per Annie suggestion, traveled to the Trastavere district. They ended up at the Piazza Santa Maria, watching natives hustle by in their day to day life as they ate gelato from paper cups and shared favorite Greendale stories.

"-so he actually mooned you?" Jeff asked incredulously and Annie nodded emphatically. "What kind of medication do you think Leonard is on?"

"And how many?" Annie continued without missing a beat and Jeff smiled at her, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. Her heart seized up in her chest and Annie looked away before he could notice any changes to her expression.

There was a moment of awkward silence as she busied herself with taking a bite of gelato, feeling Jeff's eyes on her the entire time. Why was he looking at her? Was she that obvious? She was trying so hard to not care and all she was doing was making it more obvious. He could see right through her, Annie was sure of it. How could he not? He was a lawyer. Jeff inhaled deeply and Annie's eyes drew up to his face. "And do you think he would give some to us?" he asked and Annie relaxed, smiling at him. They wandered over to the front of an old church, covered with a colorful mosaic. "Can I ask you something?" Jeff questioned and Annie felt herself nod, unable to tear her eyes away from the artistry in front of her. "What has been your favorite part of Italy?"

You.

Annie took in a shuddering breath, shaking off the first thought that leapt to her mind. That was absolutely not part of the great plan. Was that what he wanted her to say? Did he want to hear that she was happy he was there? She hadn't actually said anything close to that to him, instead trying not to dwell on the how or the why of him showing up. It was Rich-centric thinking that had caused it and calling attention to it would just make her feel like an idiot.

Or _more_ of an idiot.

"Well," she said slowly, thinking back over the last week of her life. Shopping with Camilla, swimming on a perfect beach with Rich, Jeff standing in front of her, looking at her as if she was his sole focus. She exhaled slowly. "Nobody… has said 'no' to me." She tore her eyes from his face, not wanting to see his reaction to her words. It had too much potential to be heart-rending. "That's been my favorite part," she finished quietly when he didn't respond at all to her.

After a tour of the inside of the church, littered heavily with mocking comments from Jeff, they eventually made their way to a restaurant right on the river bank. They dined on pasta (for her) and steak (for him), and Annie was inch by inch lulled into a sleepy kind of happiness. She suspected it had little to do with the sip of scotch she'd had from his glass when it had arrived at the table and more to do with the dark shade of blue Jeff's eyes had turned. She glanced over at the small dance floor set several feet away from their table, serenely watching as couples swayed to lilting music.

"You don't want to dance," Jeff spoke up, the distaste clear in his voice. Annie's eyes slid over to Jeff's face to see him cringing. Was the idea that awful? Annie shook her head slowly.

"No," she murmured before closing her mouth tightly. Jeff's eyes narrowed in thought and Annie watched his mouth open and close several times before he finally succeeded in speaking again.

"I didn't mean…" He sighed. "I- would you like to dance?"

She did.

"That's okay, Jeff. You don't have to." Annie forced a small laugh out, trying to prove that she didn't need him to humor her in any way when he clearly couldn't be less interested. Jeff studied her in silence for what felt like a long time before finally shrugging his shoulders and looking back down at his scotch. "Besides, my feet kind of hurt," she added, waiting for his reaction.

Jeff's features lightened quickly before settling into Jeff Face Number Two: Classic Smirk. "Was it really worth it to be able to bounce a quarter off of that thing?" he asked, gesturing toward her bottom.

Annie felt her face heat up. "It's other people who would be doing the bouncing," she clarified and felt a tiny thrill at the expression on Jeff's face. "I can't bounce a quarter off my own ass, Jeff." She yawned.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

She shrugged. "You wore me out."

"_I _wore _you_ out?" he asked, his eyebrows raising skeptically. "I remember today going differently than that."

"Only because you wouldn't actually choose a single activity," Annie shot back, pointing at him accusingly.

Jeff shrugged his shoulders. "I was hanging out with you." The words were easy, and they left his mouth as if they didn't mean anything, but Annie felt her heartbeat pick up its pace right away. Honestly, it probably _didn't_ mean anything, was most likely Jeff's way of saying that because he was with her, he wasn't given a choice in the matter. But the look on his face made her think…"So, if you're tired, we should head for home." Something was so familiar and intimate about using the word 'home' for where they would be traveling back to.

No. Bad. Everything was getting confused in Annie's head. Jeff was doing it on purpose. He knew what he was doing, just like always. "Yeah," she murmured, the words thick in her mouth.

Jeff rose from his seat. "Are you okay walking back to the car with sore feet?"

She glanced up at him, half-amused. "If I say no, are you planning on carrying me?"

"Annie, I won't carry a fish tank for you," he stated. "I definitely won't carry _you_."

Together, they wandered across the bridge that spanned the Tiber river, lit magically in the quickly setting sun. Annie stepped to the bridge's side and slipped her shoes off and stooped to pick them up before looking out across the cityscape. It seemed unreal, like everything that had happened that day had been a part of a dream that she would need to write down in her journal the second she woke up to the announcement of the morning special below her apartment. "It's so romant-" Annie stopped abruptly, realizing what she'd been about to say.

"Romantic," Jeff filled in for her before sighing. "Annie, it's okay to say it's romantic." She glanced up at him slowly to see him staring out at the water. "I mean, I'm pretty sure the word 'romantic' came from 'Rome', so it's really…fitting," he finished as his eyes found hers, illuminated by the white lights that surrounded them. "It…_is_ romantic."

Meant nothing.

The way he was looking at her definitely meant nothing.

He made a show of clearing his throat, killing the moment as thoroughly as he could and Annie felt oddly thankful for the reprieve from her own confusing feelings. "Home, milady?"

She froze at the term of endearment, her mind blanking out on her completely. So much for giving her a break from her feelings. The last time he'd used that particular expression, Annie had squelched the conversation immediately. He had deserved it then, trying to sneak back into her good graces by using his slick charm on her. Had that really only been two weeks ago? It seemed a fuzzy memory now, like everything else in Greendale.

Everything but Jeff, who was standing with her in Rome.

Still looking at her like that.

Annie sucked in a breath, feeling something crack open in her chest. Had she really thought that she could play his game and keep her head above water? Flirt with him and have it mean nothing? Annie definitely wasn't Britta. If she'd still been wondering, the question was answered once and for all. She couldn't be cool or lackadaisical around him, _about_ him.

She loved him, despite how he felt about her.

She was right back where she started now.

So much for the plan.

Annie forced herself to nod and Jeff gave her an uncertain smile. "Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly. "Get some bad pasta?" She shook her head. "Do you speak anymore?"

She nodded again before clearing her throat. "Yeah, yes." She smiled at him nervously and was rewarded for it with a rare sarcasm-free grin. "Home," she murmured.

And then she felt it.

The shoes, her perfect expensive shoes that Camilla had bought because she said they looked like…'fuck me' shoes, rebounded off the side of the railing and one of the thin straps of leather slipped from Annie's grasp and fell like a rock into the water below.

"No!" she cried, bending as far over the railing as she could, reaching toward it pointlessly.

"Annie," Jeff said as he placed his hands on each of her shoulders and pulled her back. "One shoe? Yeah, you're not a Disney princess at all."

"Can you go get it?" she asked pitifully.

Jeff's eyebrows met in the middle of his forehead. "No," he answered determinedly. "I am not going to rescue your shoe." She stuck her lower lip out toward him. "That isn't going to work, princess."

Annie smiled at him. "Gregory Peck would do it."

"No he wouldn't," Jeff corrected. "Because he was awesome."

"They ended up in this river," Annie argued.

Jeff rolled his eyes. "They were in a fight at a party on a barge and were getting away. That is bad ass." He pointed toward her other shoe. "This is just…really not." She continued to stare at him hopefully. "Yeah, this is definitely not going to work. Maybe next time you should keep your shoes on your feet."

"Thanks, dad." It was out of Annie's mouth before she could even think about it, but the second she did, she wished she could suck it back in. Jeff's eyes darkened. "Sorry," she murmured softly when he frowned a moment later.

"Could you stop doing that?" he asked and Annie bit her lip before nodding.

Wordlessly, they left the bridge and made their way back to where the car was parked. The ride back was silent and Annie closed her eyes, settling into the low hum of the engine and the warm leather seat underneath her. In what seemed like minutes, she felt the car slow and then stop altogether. Her eyes fluttered open to find Jeff watching her quietly. Annie smiled self-consciously at him and reached for the door handle to the car. She had to get out of the car quickly before she kissed him. She could feel the impulse working its way up her spine already.

She climbed out of the car quickly, feet bare. "Annie," he called after her and she turned to face him. He was standing in front of her, holding her lone shoe out to her, the beginning of a smile on his face. She pulled it from his hand and watched his adam's apple bob as he swallowed.

"Don't sleep with him?"

It was so quiet, so uncertain that Annie wasn't really sure she'd heard him correctly. In the next instant, he winced, making it clear that he regretted saying the words and Annie stilled completely. She should probably yell. Who asked that kind of thing? Was it some protective instinct that he had? She should definitely say no at least. She didn't care if she did love him, that was just not a polite thing to say to someone else.

"Okay," she replied softly, surprising herself, and watched Jeff's eyes fly open and study hers. Annie held his gaze steadfastly.

"Really?" Jeff asked, completely surprised by the answer she'd given him.

She inhaled deeply, keeping her eyes on him before she nodded slowly, giving him as much of a smile as she could hold onto. "Yeah." Without another word, she turned and made her way through the door and into the kitchen-

-where Sergio and Rich were kissing each other fervently. She let out a small squeak of surprise and watched the two men jump apart, each looking slightly surprised and guilty. Sergio was the first to recover, giving her a wide charming smile as if he hadn't just been sticking his tongue in Rich's mouth. "Anna, how was your day?" he asked.

Annie inhaled and let it out slowly. "It was…" She furrowed her brow before nodding. "It was good."

"Are you okay, Annie?" Rich asked, concern on his face suddenly. She nodded again.

"I'm fine," she answered. "Just tired." She smiled at them. "How was your day?" she asked and was not surprised at all to see Rich's face color in the next second. "Yeah. Just a heads up, Jeff will be coming in any second," she added as a warning before slowing trudging up to her bedroom.

She was exhausted, drained in every possible way. She knew somewhere in her brain that she should be obsessing about the request Jeff had just made, or even the fact that she'd just walked in on two of the men she'd had crushes on making out with each other, but couldn't manage to think about anything with the giant swarm of butterflies all swooping around in her midsection. Picking her phone up off the dresser, Annie checked her messages.

Text from Abed.

_You should really be following Pierce on Twitter. _

That was random, even for him. Annie had been neglecting her phone for the most part, which meant missed calls and texts from her friends on a daily basis, but Pierce was the only one she'd actively tried to get a hold of, to no avail. Clicking on the correct icon, Annie went to Pierce's Twitter feed and felt her breath stop. There it was, under a comment on spicy mustard not being spicy enough anymore and a rant against 'So You Think You Can Dance'.

**HawthorneWipes **Love knows no price. Love knows no age. Love apparently knows no country either- isn't that right, ** JeffWingerAtLaw**?

5 days ago


	18. Chapter 18

"Annie?"

Jeff stuck his head into her room, expecting to hear a positive response. When he didn't get one, he stepped fully into the room. The bed was made and the bathroom door was open. Okay, she definitely wasn't in there. Jeff frowned. She hadn't said that she was going anywhere. It didn't seem all that likely that she would go off on her own. Of course, she could be with Rich.

Or Sergio.

He was really trying not to assume that it _wasn't_ just the Italian man's clear affection for Annie that made Jeff instantly despise him. He just couldn't figure out another reason to hate the guy. Yet. He seemed polite and genuine and he _knew_ how to cook.

Maybe he'd drugged them all?

That was possible.

Would Annie really go gallivanting off with Sergio after what had happened the other night in the garage? Jeff flinched at the memory of it. He actually hadn't meant to say it. Sure, he'd been thinking it for several days, but had no intention of ever speaking it in out loud words. His gut had taken over, beating down all the logic his brain could provide him with. But the thing was…she had agreed to it. What kind of game was she playing anyway? It didn't make sense that Annie hadn't screamed at him, hadn't even questioned it. Just flat out agreed. She hadn't even slapped him. The more he thought about it, the more irritated Jeff got. She had spent the last year poking and prodding and pushing him and every time he'd deflected it successfully. He'd pushed one time and Annie had caved immediately. And it hadn't been some simple request. Had she been playing him the whole time?

What was he, a lab rat?

Stepping out onto the balcony, Jeff noticed the overcast sky. There had been intermittent talk about going to the beach that day. Rich had of course been in favor, probably wanting the chance to see Annie in a two piece again. Probably wanting the chance to rub lotion on her mostly naked body. Shaking off the idea, Jeff glanced down at acreage and felt a sense of relief settle over him.

There she was, probably two hundred yards away. She was honest-to-god _frolicking_ through the vineyard. There was no other word for it. Jeff rolled his eyes at the sight. Annie actually was a cartoon. Was she dressed by tiny woodland creatures in the morning?

Okay, so it was kind of endearing.

Unable to stop the wide grin from creasing his face, Jeff slipped out of her room quickly and down the stairs. He felt the same strange bubble of anticipation rise in his chest that seemed to be permanent lately. He was practically skipping, for Christ's sake. Annie was moving away from him, farther into the vineyard. Fortunately for Jeff, her legs were rather short, so it was pretty easy to catch up to her. "So," he smarmed down to her as he fell into step next to her. "Planning on doing some grape stomping, Lucy?"

She jumped, startled to find him suddenly there with her. She wrinkled her nose at him. "That reference is actually older than you."

Jeff felt his pride mewl indignantly inside of him. Swallowing down his self-doubt, he smirked down at her. "And you didn't think there was _anything_ that old, did you Gidget?" She frowned in confusion as they moved forward again. "Seriously, what are you doing?" he asked, hoping not to sideline the conversation entirely into the age difference that existed between them.

The hesitant look she shot in his direction caused Jeff's stomach to squirm ever so slightly. "I'm…picking grapes," Annie answered, holding up a basket for him to see. "Sergio said he would teach me how to make jelly." The smile she'd adopted in the course of the explanation disintegrated right before him and he felt the squirm again.

No. He had to get rid of that face. He hated that face. "So, you learning anything that will eventually lead to you cooking for all of your friends?" Jeff asked with a hopeful waggle of his eyebrows.

Annie shrugged. "I don't really have a good kitchen."

"You need to move out of that place, Annie." He tried to keep the lecturing tone out of his voice and push it closer to the 'smart-assed buddy' place, but could tell he hadn't succeeded when he saw her reaction.

"It's not so bad," Annie said defensively. "I can afford it and it's all mine." She nodded more to herself than him. "And that's good enough for me."

Jeff let his eyes stay on her longer than usual, longer than he should. "And you're not even a little bit weirded out by the fact that you're thirty feet away from vibrating cockrings at all times?"

"Jeff!" Annie sputtered, her cheeks pinkening quickly. Jeff smiled down at her lazily and was pleased to see her eyes flick up to him before bristling. "Don't be gross." He chuckled quietly to himself as she attempted to pick up her speed enough to lose him. "What are you doing out here?"

He shrugged easily. "There's nothing good on the satellite right now." He lifted his wrist to glance at his watch. "But at two, there's a monster truck rally on that I want to make sure to catch, so…." Annie tried not to smile at that, but didn't really succeed in the end. "So, seriously. The cooking thing is good?"

She nodded, still seeming hesitant. "Yeah. I never really cooked much growing up, but it's…I don't know. Relaxing?"

Don't think about that dirty guido drug dealer's arms around her waist.

Don't think it.

Definitely don't say it!

"And Sergio is a good teacher?" Jeff asked, ignoring every warning in his mind. He was of course rewarded with a completely troubled expression appearing on Annie's face. "I just mean that he seems to know what he's doing."

Nice save.

"Yeah," Annie answered slowly, still frowning ahead as they moved forward slowly through the neat lines of vines. She paused to clip a bunch with the shears she carried in her basket before speaking again. "He seems to know a lot." Her head tilted to the side, giving Jeff a view of the side of her neck. "And he's really patient with me, which is good since I'm a beginner."

Okay, that was just outright _baiting_.

"You didn't learn basics in high school?" Jeff asked. "They still have home ec, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but they call it Family Science."

"How progressive," Jeff smirked.

"My mother didn't work outside the home," Annie explained, keeping her eyes trained in front of her. "I guess she decided when I was pretty young that I would be her full time job." Annie leaned down to cut a stem from the plant, but struggled with keeping the basket in the crook of her elbow. Wordlessly, Jeff reached over and pulled it from her grasp. She voice faltered for a moment before continuing. "When I got to high school and I was pretty much done needing or wanting her around," Annie said and Jeff grinned down at her, "she realized the only way to justify spending her days drinking vodka and cutting coupons from the newspaper was to put me in every activity that Riverside High offered to females." She placed two bunches of grapes in the basket and wrapped her fingers around the handle.

"I got it," Jeff promised, trying not to roll his eyes at her dubious expression.

"Anyway, Family Science was scheduled at the same time as marching band." Annie chewed her lower lip in consternation as she searched for grapes.

"You were in marching band," Jeff noted quietly, feeling a smile trying to sneak onto his face. Of _course_ she was in the marching band.

"Clarinet," Annie answered with a nod. They walked on slowly in silence. Jeff watched her crouch, looking through the low sections of vines.

"Trumpet," he muttered, grimacing the second it left his mouth. Annie's head whipped up in surprise, her eyes wide.

"Really," she said uncertainly and Jeff stared forward in horror.

Why had he said that? Did he really have no control over his mouth at all anymore?

"Only for like a year," Jeff shrugged. "My mom wanted me to." He sighed. "I sucked."

"I never would have guessed," Annie replied, a wide grin erupting on her face. "You were in band."

"Not that you necessarily need to tell anyone else that," Jeff quickly responded. Annie quirked an eyebrow up at him, for some reason surprised that his musical instrument history wasn't public fodder. "I'm just worried that Pierce would want to get together and jam at some point," he cracked.

"So," Annie said as she sauntered ahead of him. "Playing the trumpet doesn't really fit in with the image I have in my head of high school Jeff." She turned to face him, walking backwards and Jeff let his mouth quirk up at the sight of her easy youthful grace.

"And what is that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her lips pursed together and she shrugged one shoulder before replying. "I don't know. Prom king? Basketball all-star?" She narrowed her eyes. "You slept with the entire drill team, didn't you?"

"Not quite," Jeff answered, weighing his options. He could brush aside the entire conversation. The way Annie had been reacting to practically every conversation, she wouldn't even question it. But there was something inside of Jeff telling him that he could- he _should_ tell her. He chuckled, not really believing what he was about to do. "I was…not very popular in high school." His eyes focused on her, too anxious for her reaction.

"Really?" Annie asked, her voice small.

Jeff chuckled uneasily. "Yeah. I…was considered…kind of a loser." Annie stopped in her tracks and stared up at him. Her expression compelled him to keep speaking. "My friends and I collected comic books and watched 'Star Trek'." He shrugged. "Apparently girls aren't really into that type of thing?" She gave him a tiny encouraging smile, and damned if he didn't feel encouraged by it. He smirked down at her. "Does that ruin the whole illusion?"

Her eyes settled on his in a way that made Jeff's stomach jump. "No," she answered, shaking her head. "Was it supposed to?"

Jeff stilled. "I just assumed," he replied a moment later, his tongue feeling huge in his mouth.

"Well, is that what usually happens?" Annie asked, her forehead wrinkling.

He inhaled sharply at the question before letting it out slowly. "I…haven't ever told anyone." He cleared his throat loudly and gave his head a shake before starting to move again. How bizarre. It was like she was _pulling _things out of him.

Was she some sort of witch?

"Well, anyway…no." Annie replied. "In answer to your original question, I never took home ec in high school." She skipped ahead of him, spying some fruit. Jeff let out a chuckle at the sight of her. When Annie turned to glance at him questioningly, he shook his head.

"You just…sometimes being with you is like being in a musical or something." He narrowed his eyes at her. "It's like you're going to burst into song at any moment."

Annie rolled her eyes, but Jeff noticed the slight blush that tinted her cheeks. "I'm not actually a cartoon, Jeff."

He raised his eyebrows mockingly and she gave him a light swat on the arm. "Sure," he replied. "So the moral of this story is-"

"To tell everyone at Greendale that you played the trumpet?" she asked, her eyes dancing. He shot her a glare.

"Is that when you have children, you have to let them take Family Science," Jeff nodded. "Or whatever they're calling it by then."

"That's the moral?" Annie asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah," he answered. "The clarinet will never get them anywhere. If you'd stayed away from marching band, you might already _know_ how to make your own jelly." He paused. "As ridiculous as that is."

"Wait," Annie stammered a moment later. "Why do you just assume that I will have children?"

The question seemed as ridiculous as if she'd asked how he knew he couldn't perform open heart surgery. "Annie," he muttered, lowering his eyebrows. "Come on."

"What?" she persisted.

He waved an arm toward her. "You're _already _Donna Reed," he said. "You were… made to be a wife and a mother." She frowned up at him, the little crease between her eyebrows appearing again.

"You think I'm just some wholesome perfect kid," Annie murmured more to herself than him and Jeff let his eyes settle on her form. "Made to grow up and make babies and go to soccer games and chair bake sales and never accomplish _anything_ real."

"Your anger would be more convincing if there weren't animated birds circling your head adoringly." She frowned down at the ground. "Annie," Jeff said in a firm tone, reaching his hand out to land on her shoulder. She physically flinched and Jeff yanked his hand back when she turned her eyes upon him searchingly. They stood in charged silence for a full ten seconds before he watched Annie lick her lips to speak.

"Why did you tell me not to sleep with Sergio?" she asked in a tone that sounded to Jeff's ears to be rather breathless.

The sudden fear was crippling and terrifying in its intensity. He swallowed down the coppery taste of adrenaline before clearing his throat to buy some time. "I _asked _you not to," was what came out of his mouth and he exhaled at his own asshattery.

"Jeff!"

He narrowed his eyes at her seriously. If she really wanted to do this, they could. He'd been waiting for Annie to allow _some _kind of conversation to develop between them for days. "Why did you agree?" She blinked at him, clearly surprised that he had turned the tables on her so quickly. Jeff watched as her chin started to tremble. God, she was going to start crying now. Why did she always have to start with the tears? It was manipulative and unfair and it worked _every time_. "Annie," he said in a low voice, stepping as close to her as he dared. She looked up at him with wet eyes and he tilted his head to the side.

A far off rumble of thunder rolled over them and they glanced up at the sky in tandem. The clouds had gotten startlingly dark in the short time since he'd joined her.

He probably shouldn't have come outside.

He probably shouldn't have come to Italy. She was just trying to have a good time and he kept fouling things up with his natural urges and his making insane requests of her. Jeff swallowed over the lump in his throat and let out a sigh that he felt in every inch of his body, his eyes taking in her face.

Fine.

He wanted her. He wanted to touch her and hold her and tell her almost every thought he had in his head at any given moment and every other ridiculously clichéd thing he could think of and he wanted to do it all with her. He wasn't sure what any of that meant, but it was the impulse, the feeling he'd been ignoring for a very long time. Jeff had never really spent more than an hour or so at a time with Annie, and this constant interaction made it impossible for him to keep his lines drawn where they needed to be. Was he her friend? Her confidant? Her chaperone?

Yes.

He couldn't be so many things at one time. When he tried, things like his secret high school history fell out of his mouth. She was confusing everything inside of him and all he was left with was the urge to pull her to him and kiss her until she couldn't breathe. "You know why," he finally said to her. Her face, still turned up toward the dark sky, drooped slowly until she could meet his gaze.

"No, I don't." It was as if she was trying to convince herself just as much as she was him. There was that wrinkle above her nose again and Jeff let out a breath.

"Yes, you do."

She actually trembled at his words. Her eyes searched his in an almost pleading manner. Yeah, he'd said that he wasn't going to do this, he'd promised countless people that he wouldn't, hadn't even thought about it. He'd lied. He'd lied to everyone and he'd lied to himself, but more importantly, he'd been lying to Annie. She took a step toward him, face still upturned.

There it was.

Jeff leaned his head down slowly and waited for her reaction before continuing. When a ghost of a smile graced her pink lips, he moved closer.

Crack!

The sky lit up bright white and then the thunder boomed seemingly right on top of them and in the next instant, the rain was falling in big cold drops. Jeff heard Annie squeal and began running toward the house. He'd only moved about ten feet when he realized she wasn't with him. He turned back to find her standing still, staring straight up at the sky. Already soaked, Jeff trudged back toward her slowly. "Um, is it your _plan _to get struck by lightning, or…"

Annie grinned at him, completely sodden, and Jeff felt his blood start to rush south and closed his eyes for a moment and tried to picture his Aunt Janice in a bathing suit. "It's kind of nice," she answered, shrugging one soaked shoulder. He was working very hard at not allowing his eyes to stray from her face to the parts of her body that were covered by a saturated cotton sundress.

"It is?" Jeff asked uncertainly.

Annie's smile held firm. "Jeff, we are standing in the middle of a vineyard in the middle of Italy." She brought both hands up to run through her hair and Jeff groaned inwardly. Annie stood in front of him, just trying to enjoy herself and he was perving out about her.

Unless…would she maybe be up for having sex right there in the mud?

"Are you worried that your brand new three hundred-dollar jeans can't take it?" Annie teased him and Jeff smirked down at her.

After the initial downpour, which had passed very quickly, they were left standing in the middle of a moderate shower. "Fine," he granted with a smirk. The radiant smile he got in return was actually worth the awkward sensation of wet denim on his legs. Jeff shoved his hands into his pockets and waited for Annie to move. She slowly walked toward him and together they made their way toward Pierce's house. "I…I didn't mean that you couldn't be something more than a wife and mother." He gave her a sidelong look, waiting for her reaction. She glanced up at him doubtfully. "Just that the idea of you not being a mother to someone is …unconscionable."

Annie chuckled quietly at that before physically shaking it off. "But you just assume that I will fall in love and get married and do all of that?"

Jeff wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Um, _yeah_." She rolled her eyes. "Why is that irritating to you?"

"It's just…how can anyone know ahead of time whether or not they're going to find someone that makes them happy enough to spend the rest of their lives with them?" Her chin was up again, lifted in misguided defiance.

"Annie," Jeff countered. "You plan everything in your life. You cannot tell me that part of that plan doesn't include a very specific husband and two point five children and a house in the suburbs."

She pursed her lips. "As a matter of fact, I _did _have a plan." She glanced up at him warily before continuing. "I was going to meet him at Brown University, which was always the school I wanted to attend." Jeff smothered a chuckle. "He would have dark curly hair and dimples and be named Andrew and-"

"-wait, you _named_ him?"

"-he would be on the soccer team and the debate team and know how to cook spaghetti," Annie finished, ticking all of the requirements off on her fingers. "But I made some choices that were not…"

"Up to Andy's standards?" Jeff offered, hoping to get at least a small smile from her.

He was unsuccessful.

"And it just made me realize that there are certain things in your life that you can't control."

"Weather is one," Jeff cracked just as a raindrop hit him directly in the eye.

"You can't choose ahead of time who to fall in love with. And you can't _claim_ to know that I will fall in love with someone enough to want to marry them any more than you can claim to know that you _won't_."

Jeff frowned. "I am not going to get married, Annie."

"Says you," she shot back quickly, as if she had been anticipating that answer.

Hell, she probably had been.

He glanced up at the sky, still dripping rain down on them. "I'm just saying," Annie continued as she picked up her pace with a shudder, "that it isn't out of the realm of possibility that you could feel that way about a woman at some point in your life." Jeff looked down at her with wide eyes. Was she talking about… "Just like it's not crazy to think that I never will."

Jeff paused. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. Getting into _that _argument with her right now was a colossally bad idea. He was just starting to make actual progress with her, he wasn't going to throw it all away for the mere purpose of proving how wrong she was.

That particular fight could probably wait.

"Okay," he answered resignedly.

She smiled at him tightly, happy that she had made her point. Together, they walked toward the house. They remained close without touching, but only because Jeff couldn't think of a really convincing reason to brush her arm at all.

"Can I ask you something?" Annie spoke up after a minute's silence.

Jeff eyed her nervously. "Okay?"

She bit her lip. "What…happened to you?"

"Excuse me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Annie smiled in response. "What happened to high school loser Jeff to make him…." She gestured toward him. "…this?"

Jeff peered down at himself, now completely drenched. "Um…" He locked eyes with her, surprised at the charge he felt from it. "I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders. "At some point I just knew that who I was wasn't good enough for me, I guess."

She gave him a knowing glance that made Jeff immensely uneasy. "It was a girl."

Jeff glared at her dubiously. "How do you possibly know that?"

"What was her name?" Annie asked, bypassing his response altogether.

Jeff frowned to himself. "I don't remember." He was hoping he was being obvious enough that she would drop the line of questioning. Thankfully, she ceased talking at that point and they wandered the rest of the way back to the house in silence.

"I was wondering where you were," Sergio greeted them, whipping a towel over his shoulder as he sautéed something on the stove. "I was just saying to Ricardo that I was hoping you had not been out in the vineyard."

"Well," Jeff replied sarcastically. "Annie has a need to make jelly apparently." He turned to her with a grin. "You know you can buy that stuff at the grocery store? They even make it with the peanut butter mixed right in now." He raised his eyebrows at her in a way that made Annie chuckle. When she stilled, her eyes stayed on him, light and happy and exactly how he wanted her to look at him all the time.

Rich ripped the moment apart with his bare hands a moment later, handing them each a towel. "You guys sure did get soaked," he noted. "I didn't realize it was raining that hard out there."

"I thought it was nice," Annie remarked pointedly and Jeff met her gaze again. She flushed before shaking it off and walking over to Sergio. Jeff felt his chest tighten and let his eyes narrow at the pair. "What have you guys been doing?" Sergio met her gaze and then gave her a small secretive smile that made Jeff feel queasy.

God, what if she already had slept with him? What if she slept with Sergio just to _spite_ him?

Would she do that?

"I'm going to get out of these clothes," she said to Sergio, giving his shoulder a pat. Jeff counted backwards from ten to keep from tearing the towel from his shoulders and wrapping it tightly around Sergio's neck. Her eyes skittered up to Jeff's face and she gave him a wisp of a smile before heading for her bedroom.

"Me too," he replied and he was trailing after her. He grinned to himself when he realized she'd been moving slowly, waiting for him. "So," Jeff said when he caught up to her at the foot of the stairs.

"Hmm," she answered distractedly.

"Do you…" He tugged the towel that was still draped over his shoulders up to rub at his wet hair. "Do you have enough grapes to make your jelly?"

Annie pursed her lips. "You don't think it's silly?"

"No, it's ridiculous." She stuck her lower lip out at him in a pout and he smiled at her.

She cleared her throat as they reached the second floor. "I just wanted to…" She trailed off and ran a hand through her wet tangle of hair. Jeff watched her, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She definitely slept with him and was going to tell Jeff that she did it just to punish him. He would deserve it. "I wanted to say that I think that whoever that girl was-"

Huh?

"-that she didn't deserve you even a little bit and that she wasn't worth whatever feelings you wasted on her."

Jeff let his eye twitch. "I never said there was a girl."

She smiled at him softly and Jeff felt something in his chest actually squeeze as a result. "To anyone who really cares about you, it wouldn't matter if you liked 'Star Wars' or played the trumpet or were a little overweight or had bacne."

How did she _do_ that?

"It… was 'Star _Trek_'," Jeff argued dully. He sighed. "That is the kind of 'Up With People-'Free To Be You And Me'-Lady Gaga bullshit that people say all the time, but no one actually means." Jeff watched her eyes cloud over for a moment before she looked down at her hands, clasped in front of her on the edge of her towel. "Oh _geez_, you actually believe that, don't you?" He scrunched up his nose in distaste at the idea.

How could she manage to be so Pollyanna all the time?

She smiled self-consciously to herself. "I just think that…you could shave your head…or gain forty pounds and…" she paused to take a breath and Jeff groaned inwardly at how much he cared what the end of her sentence would be. "…and the people who _love _you… still will."

He couldn't breathe. He'd always thought it was hyperbole when people said that, but he couldn't draw breath. His lungs had locked up, or his brain had or they were conspiring against him to take him down at the feet of this…this _woman_ in front of him.

Annie chuckled awkwardly at his side and Jeff watched as she tugged her towel tighter around her body. "I'm going to dry off," she said without meeting his eye and then she was gone, shutting her door in his face.

What?

No.

He moved forward and placed his palm against the wood, waiting for it to open from sheer will. When it didn't, Jeff made a fist and knocked on it twice. He heard a rustle on the other side and then it was open and she was standing there in her soggy pink sundress staring up at him with her wide eyes and her lips that had told him she loved him and that he was worth something and-

Shit.

Now he had to say something.

Or he could just…

He moved forward and gathered her messily in his arms, tangling one of his hands in her wet hair and letting the other one flex at her waist, before dropping his face to press his lips against hers. She let out a gasp of surprise before relaxing into him and Jeff's heartbeat picked up when her hands landed on his chest, not to push him away, but to fist in his shirt and hold him to her. He let his tongue swipe at her lips and was gratified when she opened her mouth to him immediately and met him halfway. He groaned into her mouth and she yanked him down further toward her. Jeff went willingly, slanting his mouth against her as he wrapped his hand around her head to keep her close. She was so wet and willing and _Annie_. He needed to breathe, but didn't want to stop yet. She let a moan escape her lips that Jeff felt in his groin and a moment later let one hand graze up her side past her rib cage, moving toward her breast.

Annie pulled away abruptly, pressing her hands against his chest to break free from his grasp. Jeff stared at her, his breath loud to his own ears. "I should get out of these clothes," she murmured. Jeff tried desperately not to smirk at her unintentional porn dialogue. Annie blushed a second later, hearing it for herself, and stepped back from him. "I mean, I need to dry off."

She shut the door in his face.

Jeff glared ahead.

Uh- _what_?

He turned sourly and walked into his own room and shut the door.

It might not be that bad. It wasn't the _worst_ thing he'd ever done, trying to get to second base with a woman who was born the same year he got his driver's license. He could go back across the hall and apologize. But there was a fifty-fifty chance that she would try to murder him.

So, that wasn't such a great plan then.

There was a voice urging him into a different action in the back of his head that he recognized, but Jeff really didn't want to resort to that until he had to. No, it had to be just as helpful and productive to stare into space and think about the way she had smelled wrapped in his arms. He wasn't likely to end up cold and aroused by doing that at all.

Sighing, he pulled his phone off the dresser and hit speed dial three, waiting for an answer.

"Go for Troy," Troy mumbled.

Jeff paused. "Troy?"

"Jeff?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly more awake.

"Yeah," Jeff replied, squeezing his eyes shut. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Nah," Troy answered sarcastically. "It's two in the morning here, but you didn't wake me at all."

"Sorry."

"What's up?" the younger man asked through a yawn. "Did you go down a canal yet?"

"We haven't gotten there yet," Jeff responded sarcastically. "Because it's like six hours away."

"Dude who calls me in the middle of the night says what?" Troy asked and Jeff rolled his eyes.

"I kissed Annie," he said quietly after a beat of silence.

"What, again?" Troy asked, yawning again.

Jeff pulled his phone away and glared at it. "What do you mean again?"

"I don't know," the black man remarked. "It seems like you guys do that sometimes."

"Well, we don't," Jeff shot back. "…that often."

"Was it awesome?" Troy asked.

Jeff coughed. "Yeah."

"I figured," Troy replied and Jeff frowned.

"How?"

"Well, Annie's a hot girl." Troy paused. "And you called me to talk about it, so it would have to be pretty awesome."

Jeff bit back the stinging reply he wanted to throw out and instead cleared his throat loudly. "Okay, so…what do you think I should do about that?"

Troy laughed. "How would I know? You should really have called someone who has some clue about relationships, Jeff." Jeff rolled his eyes. "You are into her, right?"

Jeff felt something hitch in his chest. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Troy replied. "Starburns told me the other day."

"What?" Jeff yelped. "How the hell does Starburns know?"

"Dude, it is _all_ over Twitter," Troy answered. "Aren't you keeping up?"

"No," Jeff lied. He had hoped all the Twitter talk would have died down in the time he'd chosen _not _to respond to Pierce. Now he just had to hope that Annie hadn't seen it before he could talk to her about it.

"Well, everyone else is." Troy yawned again. "And Annie will see it at some point, if she hasn't already."

"Yeah, this isn't helping Troy." Jeff dropped to the floor next to his bed and stretched his legs out in front of him.

"I'm not very helpful," Troy replied slowly. "You should talk to Shirley. Or, ooh better yet, just talk to Annie."

"What?" Jeff asked. "No, the whole point of this is that I _can't_ talk to Annie about it. I might _want _to, but… things are still not that great with us."

"Gee, I wonder if that has something to do with you blowing her off and then showing up in Italy later on your own." Jeff sighed into the phone. "Why don't you just go for it? Seriously, what's stopping you?"

"You," Jeff answered honestly.

"Me?" Troy questioned, his voice raising before he chuckled. "Nah, Annie and I aren't like that. I mean, she used to be in love with me, bu-"

"Not _you_ you, "Jeff cut him off. "All of you guys. Shirley and Britta and Pierce and…and Annie." Jeff swallowed.

"If she's one of the reasons you're talking to me instead of making out with her, then I think that is your problem."

Jeff laid his head back against the mattress with a soft thud. "She's twenty."

"So?" Troy chuckled.

"So that is…a lot younger than me, Troy." Jeff sighed. "And _when_ I screw it up, I'll be the guy that she regretted ever wasting time on."

Troy hummed. "Annie does seem to learn from her mistakes."

"I've been dating for as long as she's been alive," Jeff muttered more to himself than to Troy. "I've been out there. Annie is just starting. She's not even really done growing up yet. If we do this, what happens in six months when she realizes she's _already_ outgrown me?"

"So what you're really worried about," Troy reasoned after a moment of silence. "Is yourself."

Jeff sighed. "Yeah."

Troy chuckled. "Classic Winger. I gotta tell Abed about this, it will be great in…" Troy trailed off before yawning again. "You know who else could help is Pierce. He is getting weirder and weirder though."

"How can you tell?" Jeff cracked.

"I mean, who sends random classmates over to their Italian mansion for no apparent reason?" Troy asked and Jeff frowned. "There is something going on with him. I hope he's not sending everyone over there one by one so he can hunt us on his own land."

Jeff grimaced. Troy was absolutely no help at all.

"Oh, and Chang let us borrow some of your clothes."

"What?" Jeff yelped. "Why were any of you going through my clothes?"

"We needed them for filming," Troy replied tiredly. "What's with the leopard print underwear?"

"They were a gift," Jeff spit out defensively.

"Ben said he thought Slater might have given them to you," Troy answered.

Jeff's patience snapped. "What time did you say it was there?"

"Two in the _morning_, man." Troy yawned.

"Huh," Jeff answered in an overly bright tone. "Hey Troy, what are you doing answering Britta's phone at two in the morning?"

"Uh…"

The line went dead.


	19. Chapter 19

She exhaled.

That had been…

Wow.

It had been unexpected, at least for her. Had Jeff planned on doing that, or had it been easier to just kiss her rather than actually converse with her about whatever he was thinking? That _sounded _a lot like Jeff. Annie laid her head back against the cool porcelain and relaxed as much as she could, given the circumstances. He had called her a cartoon, then compared her to a housewife from the fifties and then stuck his tongue in her mouth. Annie couldn't figure out the train of thought there. Annie ran a hand through her mess of damp tangled hair before touching her lips, still swollen.

Seconds after essentially shutting the door in Jeff's face, she had felt guilty about it. The look on his face had been confusion melting into indignation. But Annie knew herself well enough to know that she couldn't kiss him without wanting to do more. Which was a terrible idea. It had been a bad idea to invite Jeff to Italy seemingly out of the blue, but having sex with him without even speaking about anything close to that was an even worse idea.

On top of all of that was the constant wriggling sensation at the back of her brain that was begging her to ask about Pierce's tweet. He had to know about that, right? It had been tweeted to _him _after all. He hadn't responded it to it though. Annie had checked his account right away after the text from Abed the other night and it didn't appear that Jeff had been on twitter since before she'd even left Greendale. She had been trying to work up the nerve to ask him and instead had asked him about Sergio.

And Jeff had said she already knew why he'd made his request.

And then he'd kissed her.

Which is how she'd ended up steeping in the whirlpool tub under a thick layer of bubbles, trying to think and relax. It was immense enough that she could slide completely under the surface and still had room to move around. It had probably been made to fit two people. Pushing aside the idea that Pierce had used the tub with someone else, Annie pressed the small button by her left shoulder that started the jets and relaxed into the sensation. She wanted so badly to really believe that he'd asked her not to sleep with the Italian because the idea was too tortuous for him.

Any other answer at this point would frankly break her heart.

There was a knock on the door and Annie lifted her head to stare nervously at the door. "Yes?" she asked.

"Annie, it's Rich." She exhaled, sinking farther into the tub. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Killing the jets and rearranging her bubbles, Annie called out an affirmative response and waited for the doctor to enter the bathroom, closing the door behind himself. His eyes widened and Annie watched as his cheeks pinkened slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize…I can come back."

She bit her lip. "I…think it probably doesn't make a difference to you." Rich stilled and Annie immediately regretted saying it. "I'm sorry, Rich."

"Have you told Jeff?" he asked quietly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Her eyebrows went up in surprise. "What? No, of course not." She shook her head. "Jeff and I don't really….talk."

"I was wondering if I could discuss something with you," Rich murmured. He settled himself on the closed toilet lid and Annie waited for him to speak again. "I was hoping I could count on your discretion."

"I promise not to let it end up on Twitter," Annie answered. "Rich," she continued as she sat up slightly. "Why didn't you just tell me six months ago that you were…"

Rich let the tiniest smile point the corners of his mouth up. "I wasn't completely sure that I was then. I thought maybe, but…" He shook his head, giving into the smile.

Annie grinned. "Wow." She nodded. "So, you really like Sergio then?"

Rich shrugged his shoulders. "He's kind of great, isn't he?"

She took a second to think about her own short-lived infatuation with the man in question and closed her eyes embarrassedly. "Yeah," she agreed through a self-conscious grin. "He's great."

"When I first got here, I thought he was maybe into you." Annie winced, remembering how he hadn't been the only one who had assumed that. "I just really liked him and it felt like we were clicking and I was a little worried that he only had eyes for you." Rich smiled at her warmly. "Not that I would have blamed him."

Annie smiled and felt a blush at her cheeks.

She swallowed down the automatic denial that jumped into her mouth. "I'm glad you guys are having a good time together then." She awkwardly raised her arms over her head to gather her damp hair in a pile. "And Sergio was never…anything more than polite to me." She inhaled deeply and then sunk back into the tub.

"Yeah," Rich agreed and Annie felt a tinge of irritation. "So, how are things going with you and Jeff?"

Annie's eyes widened in disbelief. "There's nothing going on with…" She fell silent when Rich raised his eyebrows challengingly. "I don't know," she finished lamely. "Isn't he a little old to still be acting this way so often?" She closed her eyes and tried very hard to relax.

"Annie," Rich said and she glanced up at him to find him looking at her in what could be pitying. Her stomach gave a painful twist. He shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and gave a shrug. "He's here. That sure says something."

Annie worried her brow. "What if all it says is that he took advantage of a free trip to Italy just like you and just like me?"

Rich's eyes bore into her, clearly thinking something through in his head before saying it out loud. "Yeah," he said slowly. "The thing is, the other day when I was with Camilla…" He brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck. "…she just gave me the feeling that she knew you were coming and she knew _I _was coming but …wasn't really expecting Jeff."

Annie cocked her head to the side in confusion. "What? What does that mean? When I first got here, she didn't seem like she was expecting anyone."

Rich shrugged. "I…don't know, Annie. But he knows why he's here, Annie."

"Please stop defending him," Annie begged. She needed words, she needed truth. From anyone. She closed her eyes tightly. "Jeff told me he came because he found out you were here."

"That doesn't seem that vague to me," Rich argued.

"It is if he's confused about his motives," Annie shot back.

The doctor watched her in silence. Feeling nervous, Annie slumped further into the tub, pushing her knees out of the water. "He wanted to make sure that I would stay away from you," Rich explained. "Do you really not know why he would do that, Annie?"

"I…" She sighed. "I just can't be wrong about him _again_."

She craned her neck to look up and was chastened to see him give her that same empathetic face he probably gave all of his patients. He actually patted her on the head then. 'I'm going to go downstairs and help Sergio pull all the grapes off the stem for your cooking class," he said. "Enjoy your bath, kid."

She could drown herself in there, right?

Annie soaked in the tub in silence, trying desperately not to think about Jeff's lips and Jeff's eyes and Jeff's hands. She slid her palm across her slippery stomach and paused before lifting it and wrapping her fingers around the lip of the tub so hard her knuckles turned white from the exertion.

Not a relaxing bath at all.

Giving up after another ten minutes, Annie stepped out of the tub and reached for an oversized towel and wrapped it around her wet form. She was running a hand through her wet hair just as someone knock at the door that managed to sound agitated and Annie stilled for a moment.

"Come in?" she called, wondering if it was Rich returning.

But it was very much _not _Rich who entered in the next instant.

"Oh," Jeff remarked, taking in the sight before him and averting his eyes for a moment. "You're naked."

"This time I _am_ wearing a towel," Annie pointed out. "Why do you keep interrupting me when I'm bathing, Jeff?"

"I didn't know you were going to be…" Jeff broke off, waving his hand toward her body. Annie raised her eyebrows. "I didn't," he repeated. "I would never have come in here if I'd known, Annie." He paused and his eyes narrowed. " You _said_ to come in."

"I thought you were Rich," Annie replied simply with a shrug of her naked shoulder. Jeff turned partly away from her again and Annie sighed in exasperation. "So now that I know you're not-"

"Hold on," Jeff said and stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest. "Why is Rich visiting you in the tub? What's the deal?" Annie shoved down the urge to rush forward and punch him in the nose.

Again.

"You know, this hatred of him is making you look bad, Jeff."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "I get the feeling that you're mad at me for something…"

"You _kissed _me," she accused in a whisper.

"Yeah I did," Jeff countered, whispering back loudly. "And unless I was reading things wrong, you were kind of enjoying it."

"Well, were you going to explain why you did that?" she asked.

"Annie," Jeff answered slowly. "I flew to Italy."

She reared her head back before clutching her wet towel to her torso. "I know."

"Do you?" Jeff asked, tilting his head to the side. "Because at every turn you've kind of acted like you have no idea what I could possibly be doing here after _you invited me_."

Annie looked up at him sadly. "You didn't come here with me."

Jeff threw his head back in frustration. "No, but I did come here _for_ you."

Breathe.

The bathroom was too hot. No, wait. It wasn't the bathroom.

It was her.

She was too hot.

"I'm naked," Annie noted almost to herself.

Jeff cleared his throat. "I noticed actually." She shot him an admonishing look, but he didn't really manage to look all that admonished. "Annie," he sighed after a moment, moving closer to her. "I'm not really sure what you want to hear from me or what to say about any of this, but Troy thought I should talk to you about-"

"Troy?" Annie asked, her voice going up an octave. "You called Troy."

Jeff grimaced. "I technically called Britta and Troy answered." Annie's jaw dropped. "Yeah, that is apparently….happening."

"Wow." She tilted her head to the side in thought. "I mean, I figured it would happen eventually…but, wow."

"You actually thought _that _would happen?" Jeff asked her in a slightly manic tone. Annie simply shrugged.

"So," she ventured after a beat. "Then what… happens with us?"

His eyes bore into hers for a moment in silence. "Is there a right answer to that, Annie?" She averted her gaze. "Are you… _mad_ that I kissed you?"

"No," Annie argued quickly and watched Jeff's lips quirk up on one side. "I'm-"

There was a staccato knock on the door and Annie groaned. "Yes?" she called and a moment later, Camilla entered.

The blonde's eyebrows rose when she took in the situation. "Rich said you were up here and I should come on in," she reasoned.

Tabling her irritation, Annie gave Camilla a tight smile. "Hi, Camilla."

"I'm not interrupting something, am I?" she asked, glancing up at Jeff and then back at Annie. Annie met Jeff's befuddled gaze.

"Nope," Annie lied through gritted teeth.

Camilla looked over at Jeff slyly. "Why not, Jeff?" Jeff managed to roll his entire head at the comment before crossing his arms over his chest, possibly to keep the blonde at bay. "So, I was thinking. Annie, you were probably not raised in formal society I'm guessing?"

"No. Sorry," Annie answered slowly with a shake of her head and the woman gave her a condescending smile.

"Of course." She turned to Jeff then, giving him a wide smile. "I was thinking we should have a party here tomorrow in honor of our young Annie. Celebrate her graduation into womanhood in style the way people do on this continent. What do you think?"

Jeff glowered at her. "You want to throw Annie a debutante ball," he surmised flatly. Annie's eyes widened at the idea. He turned to appraise her. "Are you a debutante, Annie?"

"Aren't I too old for that?," she questioned, looking between the two people who were still in the bathroom with her. It was beyond awkward. Did neither of them see that she was standing there naked? At least Camilla hadn't brought her husband up with her. "I don't think a party is such a good idea, though."

"Annie," Camilla stated with a gleam in her eye. "Pierce Hawthorne saw it fit to send a nineteen year-old girl-"

"Twenty," Jeff and Annie corrected in unison, meeting each other's eye line.

"…_okay_. A twenty year-old girl over here unescorted to his mansion with a full wine cellar. He was asking for this to happen." She looked imploringly over at Jeff, who was clearly considering the idea.

"Jeff," Annie said in an uneasy tone.

"It's not the worst idea ever," he conceded with a shrug. "This place is made for a party." He turned to Camilla. "You have a beer bong, right?"

"We can't have a party," Annie argued feebly. "We don't even know anyone. Who would come? Where would we get the food or-"

"Let me take care of everything," Camilla stated, holding her hands up to stop Annie's diatribe. "And now I'll make myself scarce so you two can get back to whatever you were about to do to each other before I came in here."

"We weren't going to do…"Annie started, losing steam halfway through.

Jeff grimaced and shook his head at her. "That wasn't so convincing, Annie."

"Jeff came in here by accident," Annie tried again. "He didn't know I was…" She gestured down toward herself. "This was supposed to be a place for me to think," she murmured to herself.

"And what was it you were thinking about?" Jeff asked her, his eyebrows dancing. She shot him an uncertain look and he gave her a warm, knowing smile in return. Annie gave a silent prayer that her skin was still pink enough from the hot bath that he wouldn't notice the flush that would otherwise be obvious. She smiled shyly back at him.

"Right," Camilla said after a moment of silence. "I will send my stylists over for you tomorrow, Annie." With that, she swept from the room without another glance backwards. Annie met Jeff's amused gaze.

"So, do you think Pierce already has togas in one of these closets, or am I going to have to take the sheet off my bed?"


	20. Chapter 20

3:02?

Jeff groaned and rolled over in the other direction. He'd been trying to sleep since midnight and hadn't had any luck at all so far. Camilla and her rapidly growing staff of assistants had camped out in the dining room all evening, throwing around words like 'crudite' and 'accoutrement' and one time 'grappa', which was at least slightly promising. Jeff hadn't known that planning a party of this caliber was such an intensive process. He usually just showed up, fashionably late, pressed flesh with people he needed to and then tried to have sex with the coat check girl.

He had almost been ashamed he hadn't thought of it. Throwing a party at Pierce's mansion should have been the first thing he'd tried to do. Well, he had been a little distracted the past couple days. Truth be told, he still was, had practically been vibrating with the need to pull Annie aside all night and finish a single conversation with her. Or touch her dress. Or kiss her again.

It would most likely be that last one.

Jeff knew at some point that he was going to actually have to tell Annie the truth, but he wanted to wait as long as he could. They were good right now, _great _even compared to where they'd been a week ago or a year ago. They were still undefined, which was fine with him, especially as long as Annie was going to let him kiss her senseless and then see her in a towel. The problem was that there were things that she eventually needed to know that she would hate him for, Jeff was pretty sure of that. He just had to know that they were good before he was going to tell her.

He really didn't want to get slapped again.

Giving up on sleep at least for the moment, Jeff heaved himself out of bed and his eyes fell on his messenger bag. He could just get rid of the whole thing, but Pierce probably had a copy of it. He stooped to retrieve the thick packet of paper that he knew had his signature at the end of it. Who had this kind of thing drafted ahead of time anyway? It was easily thirty pages, single spaced. Jeff had read it on the flight, looking for a loophole. He hadn't had any luck and since landing had been pre-occupied with trying to keep Annie away from every man in a fifty mile radius. Sighing, he dropped the contract onto his dresser and slipped out of his room. Sparing a glance toward Annie's closed bedroom door, Jeff made his way down the stairs. The marble was freezing under his bare feet, causing him to hop from foot to foot. Some bad television was all it would hopefully take to make him pass out. If not, he was ready willing and able to go looking for liquor.

Before Jeff could collapse onto the couch, he noticed a weak beam of light lying across the hardwood floor, stretching from the direction of the kitchen. He shuffled toward it quietly and wasn't all that surprised with what he saw.

There she was, perched on the counter with her back to him.

"Hey," he said softly so as not to make her jump. She jumped anyway before dropping a bowl to the counter next to her. "It's just me. How much coffee do you drink?" She gave him a small smile as he moved toward her. She tugged up the fallen strap of her tank top and Jeff noticed just how few clothes she was actually wearing. A thin camisole and pajama shorts is all it appeared she had on. And there he was, standing with her in a tee shirt and underwear.

It had the potential to get either really awkward or like a letter to 'Penthouse'.

He liked those chances, actually.

"Hi," Annie answered. As Jeff came around the counter to face her, she smiled up at him. "Can't sleep?"

"I keep having nightmares about Camilla fighting her way back into the house, like a zombie," Jeff replied, eating a spoonful of ice cream from the bowl that she had discarded before sliding it out of the way.

"I know," Annie shook her head. "I was really starting to wonder if she was ever going to leave." Jeff watched as she bit her lip. "So, do you know why she's doing this exactly?"

"You mean taking over the house?" Jeff asked.

"I mean…." She waved her hands in front of her, searching for the right word. Jeff grinned.

"Foisting you on Italian society?" he filled in for her and Annie deflated with a nod. "If it makes you feel any better, I would bet a lot of Pierce's money that she just wants an excuse to throw a party and wants to do it _here_ where she won't be responsible if someone mysteriously drowns in the pool." Jeff hoisted himself up next to her as smoothly as he could and let his bare leg bump against hers. "Your age is just being used as an excuse," he concluded quietly, staring straight ahead at nothing. He actually felt her still next to him and purposely didn't look over at her.

"Yeah," she whispered.

They could talk about it now. It would be easy enough to tell her everything he needed to right now. It wasn't that big of a deal. But the chance that he would undo everything that he had accomplished thus far made him push the idea from his head.

"How did your jelly turn out?" Jeff asked, rolling over the awkward moment as quickly as he could. Annie made a face and hopped off the counter. Jeff twisted his body around as his eyes followed her to the fridge, where she pulled a small jar from the shelf and closed it again. Approaching him slowly, she lifted it toward him with furrowed eyebrows. Jeff pulled it from her grasp and unscrewed the lid before letting out a chuckle.

Whatever it was looked slightly gray and runny and lumpy and nothing like any grape jelly he'd ever seen before. "What happened to it?" he asked with a grimace. She wasn't going to make him eat it, was she? He was going to have to think quickly if she offered him a taste, because he was not putting that in his mouth.

"I'm not sure," Annie replied before giggling. Jeff met her eye in the dim light cast on them from the small fixture above the sink which had been left on. Her eyes had a clear shining quality to them that he couldn't remember having seen for a long time. "I don't think I followed the directions correctly?"

"Sergio is a _terrible _teacher," Jeff noted as he set the jar back down on the countertop on his other side, careful to leave her spot empty should she want to hop back up. Instead, Annie simply stepped forward and pressed herself against it, palms flat against the tiled top.

Her cheeks colored and Jeff felt a twinge in his chest. "He was a little distracted," she answered simply.

"What?" Jeff asked with a frown. "What was he distracted with?" Annie didn't respond, just blushed deeper and gave her head a shake.

Oh god.

What the hell had happened between Annie and Sergio?

He couldn't ask that, right? It wasn't any of his business.

Except he had just kissed her that morning.

And she'd said she'd liked it. Wait, no. She'd said that she wasn't mad that he'd done it. That wasn't really the same thing. But she _had_ liked it. He'd kissed enough women in his day to know that she was liking it, possibly too much given the way she'd shut him down. The idea that she would have still done anything with that greasy chef despite what was going on with them made his stomach churn in a way that embarrassed him. He got a strangle hold on the encompassing sense of jealousy that was flooding his veins and crammed it back down where it belonged, in the recesses of his brain. He had decided he didn't _care_ if she had a fling with someone while on vacation, hadn't he?

That had been hypothetical and when she was across the ocean from him. That had been long before Jeff had gone into debt in order to get to her in any way he could.

It was before he'd made his deal with the devil.

"Have you…" Annie paused. "Have you been checking Twitter at all?"

Shit. She'd seen it already. She had seen in and had finally talked to Pierce and she knew everything and was going to confront him right now. Jeff forced his face into a confused frown, trying to think. But her forearm was just barely brushing against his thigh every few seconds and he couldn't remember his mother's maiden name right now. "No," he lied after a moment. "Twitter is lame." Annie gave a slow nod of her head, never breaking his gaze. "Why, have you seen it?"

Annie's eyes narrowed for the briefest of moments before relaxing into a smile that seemed more knowing than Jeff really felt comfortable with. "No,' she replied after a beat. "I haven't really been on my phone at all." She shrugged. "Doesn't seem very vacation-y." She pulled her lower lip in between her teeth and Jeff clenched his hand into a fist. "Can…" She turned around and pushed herself back on the counter next to him, her smooth legs swinging against his. "Can I ask you something?" she asked without looking at him.

"Can I ignore it if I don't like the question?" Jeff asked her and Annie frowned to herself. "What's up?"

"How…" She glanced up at him nervously. "How did the thing with Britta start?"

Of all the uncomfortable questions she could have asked him, that was one Jeff was not ready for at all. "What? Annie," he sighed. "I'm not talking about that with you."

She swallowed and looked over at him. "Is it because you think I can't take it?"

"No," Jeff answered honestly. "It's because talking about one woman to another is not cool." He pressed his palms down flat on the countertop, his hand landing half on hers. She didn't move it. He cleared his sleep-scratchy throat. "Annie, the thing with Britta was a bad idea. We both know that," he said. "We both knew it when it was happening, too." He took a deep breath. "And that's all you get."

She nodded. "I…I told Brita that I kissed you after the dance to see if I could."

Jeff leaned toward her, bringing his head closer to hers. "I know." It had actually been the first night that Britta had turned up at his door, tasting of vodka and stumbling around in boots with heels too high for her to drink in. She had mumbled it against his lips as he'd taken her shirt off and Jeff had paused for exactly six seconds while waiting for his frustration at that revelation to dissolve.

"I was lying," Annie confessed softly, meeting his eye again.

"I know," Jeff answered with a small smile.

"You said you came here for me," she noted in an almost dreamy tone, as if she'd just recalled that fact.

"I know," he repeated and Annie smiled at him before leaning toward him and brushing her lips against his chastely. Jeff wrapped his fingers around the edge of the counter, wanting to give all of the control to her. She broke away and came back again before letting a tiny sigh out.

That was a good noise.

Just as Jeff was letting go of the counter to reach up toward her, Annie broke off again with a sigh. She opened her eyes and they landed unfocusedly. Blinking again, her expression turned to one of hesitation. "Was…that okay?" she asked and Jeff bit back a chortle.

"Uh, _yeah_." He nodded.

"I didn't mean to," Annie went on. "I just…."

"Was overcome by my handsomeness," Jeff offered with a knowing nod. Instead the light swat to the arm that he was expecting, Annie looked at him evenly before exhaling and sliding off the counter to the floor. "Going back to bed?"

"I think I better," she replied and then shook her head in a shy way that made Jeff's stomach burn quickly and unexpectedly. "I need my beauty sleep anyway," Annie said with a shrug, still hovering in front of his knee without touching him at all.

Beauty sleep?

"Hardly," he murmured, only realizing a second too late that it had out loud. Annie's eyes shot up to his face, matching his surprise. She let a soft laugh before tucking her hair behind her ears and making her way out of the kitchen. "Annie?" Jeff called, swinging his legs around to the other side of the counter to face her. She stopped and turned to face him with raised eyebrows. "You're not going to make anyone eat this, are you?"

She grinned self-consciously. "Stay on my good side," she warned with a grin before giving him a little awkward wave and leaving him alone.

He had every intention of doing just that.


	21. Chapter 21

"You do realize you're sitting in the shade, don't you?"

Annie glanced up from the copy of 'People' that she'd bought at the Greendale airport to see Jeff looming over her, smirk firmly in place. "The sun is about to shift," Annie answered, rolling onto her side to look up at him. Jeff's eyes flicked down her body for a fraction of a second before settling on her face again.

Did he think she hadn't seen that?

"And then what happens?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

She rolled back onto her stomach. "And then I get a perfect tan in time for the party I'm hosting tonight?" she replied. She licked her index finger to grip the page and turned it slowly.

"Or you misjudge the fairness of your skin and end up looking like a lobster," Jeff answered from above her. "Again."

"I have sun block on," she replied as she fully sat up. Glancing over her shoulder, she raised a finger to swipe at the layer of lotion that was there.

"I would have helped with that," Jeff said in a tone that sounded suggestive no matter how Annie tried to interpret it differently. She pulled down her Gucci sunglasses to look up at him, butterflies flapping wildly in her stomach in response to his expression. "Just trying to be helpful," he added.

He'd been looking at her in the same way all day. It was cautious and enigmatic and wonderful. Annie couldn't really tell if he was holding their kiss over her, mocking her in his own Jeff way. He'd seemed to enjoy it the previous night when she'd impulsively leaned toward him and done it. But since then, he hadn't seemed in any hurry to talk to her about much of anything. The overall effect was completely unsettling when she spent too much time thinking about it.

Annie wondered if that was what he was going for.

"So, what brings you outside?" She tilted her head to the side. There was a definite answer that she wanted to that question, though she knew there was a ninety-seven percent chance that she wouldn't actually get that response from Jeff.

His eyes narrowed down at her before his lips quirked up on the sides. "Just taking in the sights," he smarmed in the direction of the tennis court and, despite the fact that Annie knew he was not really being serious, she felt her heartbeat pick up. "Does swimming fit into your grand plan for the day?" he asked as his gaze shifted toward the pool she was lounging next to.

"Do you have…swimming trunks?" Annie asked hesitantly before letting her eyes drift down his body.

Shoot.

Maybe he hadn't noticed that.

No, he'd definitely noticed. He was smiling widely down at her now. He opened his mouth to speak before his eyes widened and he jumped, stepping quickly to the side to reveal Camilla. "Oops," she said with a shrug that she didn't mean. "I guess I missed."

"Really?" Jeff asked. "What were you _trying _to pinch?"

Camilla raised an eyebrow at him suggestively and Annie frowned over at Jeff, who looked like he was smelling something foul. "Annie," she said, finally acknowledging her. "I have brought my team of stylists over, they're waiting inside." She glanced down at Annie's body and Annie wrapped her arms protectively around her bare midsection. "What are you doing out here?"

Annie swallowed, feeling fear roil up her spine.

"She might be enjoying her vacation," Jeff offered sardonically. Annie looked over at him, but he was looking at Camilla.

"Well, I hope you're done," Camilla continued to Annie. "Because it's time for them to start getting you ready."

Annie's mouth dropped open in surprise. "I thought the party wasn't until eight though." Camilla raised her eyebrows in question. "Why would it take that long to get ready?"

"You're not exactly starting with Jabba the Hut here," Jeff piped up.

"Don't you know anything about this, Annie?" Camilla asked, an edge creeping into her voice. "Didn't you do this before prom?" Annie felt her cheeks flame up as she stood from her lounge chair, beach towel in hand. "Annie?"

Annie cleared her throat before wrapping her towel protectively around her shoulders. She could feel Jeff shift closer to her. When Annie glanced over at him, he was looking at her with a slightly troubled expression. "I didn't go to prom."

"Where are we setting up the table for beer pong?" Jeff spoke up from Annie's side. She looked over at him to see a mock serious expression on his face. She grinned thankfully up at him and he jerked his head slightly toward the house. Annie nodded discreetly before walking past them into the house. Sergio was standing in the kitchen surrounded by half a dozen other men, all speaking Italian. Rich stood nearby, watching everything with wide eyes. When the men noticed her, the kitchen fell silent.

"Anna," Sergio greeted her with a bow of the head. Annie noticed several sets of eyes slide down her form and struggled to tie her towel around herself. "Enjoying la sole before your soiree?" Annie furrowed her brow in concentration before nodding.

"I was going to," she answered with a gesture toward the pool. She could no longer see Camilla, but Jeff was still there, currently stripping off his-

Wow.

"Annie?" Rich called to her and Annie shook herself back into consciousness before turning to look at him. He was giving her a grin that was too knowing. "You okay?"

She cleared her throat and nodded as primly as she could manage before leaving the men in the kitchen and making her way up the stairs slowly. She really had no idea what to expect from the entire thing. Her stomach was a mass of nerves, all coiling around each other tightly. There was no real logic behind being panicked about the party. Annie wasn't stupid. She knew it had nothing to do with her. But for some reason, Camilla was still going through the motions with her, her strange fascination with Annie becoming quite pointed in the last twenty-four hours.

Stepping unsurely into her bedroom, Annie was met with a woman and a man, both apparently waiting on her arrival. The woman popped up from the bed the moment she saw Annie, extending her hand. "Anne Marie Edison?" she asked in her heavy Italian accent. Annie nodded slowly and shook the woman's hand. "I'm head of detail, Lucia." She gestured toward the man who was leaning against Annie's dresser. "We are your team." It was said in a tone that made Annie wonder if Lucia thought the younger woman actually had some say in this whole thing.

Her team clearly didn't understand the situation, because she wasn't in control of anything in her life at the moment.

"Okay?" Annie murmured. "Hi."

"This is Marco," Lucia pointed. The short well-coifed man nodded his head as Annie tried not to stare at the disconcerting patch of hair under his lip. "Where would you like to begin?"

Annie opened her mouth to answer before realizing that Lucia wasn't acknowledging her at all, but was talking to the man.

"There's a lot to work with here," he observed in an American accent that took Annie by surprise. "I had been worried by the way Camilla described her." Annie frowned at that before clutching her towel tighter to her body. "Oh, sweetie." He shook his head. "There's no shyness here." Lucia slid behind her to shut the bedroom door. "Take it off." The brunette did so hesitantly, already conscious of the way she held herself.

Huh.

They were really good.

She was ushered into the bathroom with Lucia on her heels, where she was pushed under the hot spray of the shower. As the brittle woman on the other side of the bevelled glass gave instructions on how to wash her hair and which unscented soap she was supposed to you, Annie let her mind wander away from the humiliating experience she was in the middle of.

To Jeff.

Annie could practically hear Britta's groan of disgust in her ear, but couldn't stop herself from smiling despite that. For the first time since she'd known him, it seemed like they could actually be on the same page. Annie wasn't entirely sure what page that was exactly, and they still hadn't really spoken about anything. But she felt like it could turn out okay. Good even. And she was going to take advantage of whatever this was as long as she could, dig her nails in if need be.

What followed felt like three straight hours of plucking and fluffing and powdering at the hands of two people with whom Annie was barely on a first name basis. Come to think of it, she was really barely on a first name basis with Camilla, who had sent them to her. How had Annie not even questioned it yet? Was the blasé fashion in which Marco placed his hands on her naked skin normal? He was a professional, but it was still bewildering.

"These were the gowns that were pre-approved for you this evening, honey." Marco held up a bathrobe that the young brunette gratefully shrugged into before following him to the rack of dresses that he'd set up next to her bed. Her fingers reached out to touch the yards of silk and satin and chiffon in front of her, but she was slapped back by small manicured male hands.

First the pink was lifted over her head. It was a suffocation of tulle. Annie and Marco both blanched at it and it was discarded a minute later. "I want your mouth to be red," Lucia explained from behind them. "It needs to be the most color you have on." Marco turned toward Lucia, who was systematically sorting through the immense fold out case that contained only lip color. He nodded in agreement before inclining his head to the side to study Annie's face as she watched Lucia bend back over the table full of makeup.

"Let's try the black, sweetie." Annie gave a faint nod before shimmying into a strapless black dress with a long slit up the side. Annie turned to look at herself in the full-length mirror, immediately straightening her shoulders at the sight. She looked like someone else. She looked like a paid assassin. She looked dangerous and adult. Annie didn't ever want to take the dress off. She would give up all her other worldly possessions if it meant she could keep the dress and always feel the way she did at that moment. "Oh lord, no." Marco was shaking his head vehemently. "This is not right at all." When Annie opened her mouth to protest, the diminutive man raised a hand to quiet her. "You are not Angelina Jolie, princess."

"It needs to be sweeter," Lucia pronounced as she approached them slowly. Annie bit her lip in dread. The possibility of her having to enter the party in something poofy made her not want to go downstairs at all. She couldn't look like a little kid.

Please.

Didn't they know how important tonight might be?

The thought had of course crossed her mind that the party could be the opportunity she'd been waiting for with Jeff. They hadn't really had a chance to talk in the last day. If she looked pretty enough, if she could just get him to look at her in that way he sometimes did, things would work out.

Annie was almost sure.

"Try the other black," the Italian woman noted as Annie stepped almost petulantly out of her dangerous tango dress. The dress she was handed was much more formal than the last, with a matronly cut her mother would approve of.

She hated it with a passion.

"Hmmm," Lucia said as she tipped her head to the side and stared at Annie with narrowed eyes. "I think it is too much…"

"Really old," Marco agreed with a nod. "Not it." He motioned for Annie to hand it back to him and she worked quickly to get it off and back into his waiting embrace. She watched as he went back to the rack, his fingers tracing the lines of the waiting gowns. "I wonder…" He held one out toward Lucia who wrinkled her nose.

"I don't know if that one is going to be a good fit," she stated as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"She's got the chest for it," Marco announced loudly, pointing to Annie's breasts. She brought a hand up to her collar bone, feeling her cheeks heat up. "Annie," he pulled the dress from the rack and held it out toward her. "What do you think?" Annie took in the garment he was presenting her with and she felt a thrill race up her spine.

Yes.

This was the one.

She could feel it.

She was nodding silently long before she even realized it. Marco chuckled at Annie before actually handing the dress to her. Her fingers trembled at the feel of the delicate satin. "Put it on," Lucia commanded clearly. Annie wasted no time in doing just that, only jumping slightly when Marco slid his hand right inside to adjust her breasts. He motioned for her to turn around and look in the mirror. When Annie spun, her breath caught in her throat. The white satin clung to her figure, showing off her curves to their best advantage. It gathered at her bust before smoothing down to into a sleek flowing skirt.

This was the dress.

Annie felt as if her entire life was changing. This dress wasn't dangerous tangos or dinner parties with senior citizens or even ballroom dancing with Prince Charming. It was classic, classy. It was Hemmingway. It was live bands playing Glenn Miller songs and drinking flutes of champagne under the stars.

It was perfect.

It was the dress that could make Jeff fall in love with her.

She could feel it

"That works, I guess." Marco wasn't quite having the same epiphany that Annie was. "Take it off and I'll fix a couple things on it while you and Lucia work on hair and makeup." Annie dutifully pulled the dress off before allowing Lucia to lead her over to the work station she had set up. The woman went to work without a word, her eyes cold and focused.

"How long have you been doing this?" Annie asked, trying to start a conversation with the woman.

Lucia exhaled. "A long time," she answered in a clipped tone. "Don't lift your chin."

"Sorry," Annie replied, tipping her chin down.

"Don't tilt down either," Lucia said in a stern tone. This time she physically gripped Annie's face to manipulate it into the position she wanted it. "You need to hold still and stop fidgeting."

"Oh, let her be." Annie glanced over to see Marco sitting on the edge of her bed, sewing the dress by hand in a spot. "She's young and excited." He offered a kind smile to Annie. "We're used to dressing Camilla, who is always half in the bag." Annie nodded unsurely at that before turning back to Lucia, who was huffing angrily.

After she was finished with the makeup, Lucia started methodically curling sections of her hair in loose spirals, accidentally burning her neck in one spot. Annie hissed and pulled away and Lucia glared at her. "Stop moving," she warned darkly. When it was fully curled, Lucia gathered all of the hair in a loose twist at the nape of Annie's neck. The older woman stared at her with a serious expression for close to a minute in silence before giving a curt nod toward Marco.

"Come back over here, princess." Annie rose from her seat and walked over to Marco. She was only too happy to slip back into her dress and reveled in the feeling of the cool satin sliding against her skin. When Marco was happy with what he was looking at, he turned Annie back toward the full-length mirror. The woman staring back at her was a stranger, elegant and sexy at the same time. She strode quickly to her dresser and picked up her phone before stepping back in front of the mirror and snapping a picture of her reflection. After checking it to make sure she hadn't accidentally lopped of her head, Annie made the decision to send the photo to Britta. She somehow knew the blonde would understand how important the moment was to her.

Her phone vibrated in her hand a mere minute later, startling Annie. She answered the call with a shy smile. "Hey, Britta."

"Annie," Britta breathed. "You look so gorgeous."

"This dress is half a year's rent," the brunette replied.

"Why are you wearing it?" Britta inquired as Annie let herself out onto the balcony, earning disdainful glances from her design team.

"There's this party," Annie explained. "Pierce has this…desperate housewife neighbor and she planned this party for tonight and sent over her stylists to work on me."

"Really?" Britta asked, and Annie could hear the skepticism in the blonde's voice. "That's…"

"Weird? I know," the younger woman responded.

"Hey, have you talked to Pierce?"

"No. I've been calling him almost every day, but he keeps ignoring me or something." She frowned. "Why, what's up?"

"I'm not sure," Britta replied. "Troy thinks there is something strange going on with him." She sighed. "It's probably nothing. So, how is every...thing else going?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "You can say his name."

"I cannot _believe_ he did this," the blonde responded instantly. "It was such a bad idea." Annie frowned. "But then, that's pretty much Jeff Winger's M.O, isn't it?" She paused. "Is he being a total dick?"

"No," Annie answered slowly. "He's being…really great, actually."

Britta let out a disappointed groan. "Oh god, you're already sleeping with him, aren't you. Are you under his thrall?"

"I am not under his thrall, Britta." Annie felt her temper rising. Why was it that every one of her friends thought they knew what she wanted better than she did? "And we are not," her voice dropped to an emphatic whisper, "_sleeping_ together."

"You will be," Britta answered flatly and Annie sighed loudly. "I'm sorry, Annie. But you don't understand-"

"Yes, I do," Annie cut her off. "_You_ guys need to understand that I can take care of myself."

"Annie, I know you." Britta sighed. "And you will never be happy with halfway. You _deserve _better than halfway." Annie frowned. She did not want to talk about this now. Britta was ruining her fashion-related high. "And Jeff Winger will never be able to do better than halfway."

Annie narrowed her eyes. "This from the woman who spent the last year…_doing_ it with him all over campus."

"Yes, Annie." Britta made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. "Yes, fine. We had meaningless sex with each other all year because we were both lonely and wanted to have a good time. It was wrong. We hurt people and you were one of them. I _get_ it." Feeling chagrined, Annie swallowed down the response she'd almost given. "Annie," Britta murmured sadly. "He just is so not worth it."

"That's not your call, Britta." Annie was feeling worse and worse by the second.

The blonde gave an tired sigh. "Fine. Do…whatever. Hook up with him."

Annie's mouth fell open. "Are you going to lecture me about hooking up with one of my friends?"

There was silence on the other end for a full five seconds. "I _knew_ he couldn't keep his giant trap shut."

"You and Troy?" Annie asked. "How long?"

"I don't know," Britta replied, sounding as if she'd rather be answering questions about anything else. "It just happened I guess."

Annie chewed her lower lip. "Well, I'm happy for you guys."

"It's not a big deal, Annie."

How did Britta manage this kind of thing? Annie had felt strongly about exactly three men in her life, and Britta had already slept with two of them. At least her high school boyfriend was gay now. Annie had tried so hard for three years to get Troy to notice her, to absolutely no avail. She'd spent the last year in what she'd thought was a flirting contest with Jeff only to learn that he'd been having sex with Britta the entire time. How could she ever compete with Britta?

She and Britta were nothing alike.

At all.

"I'm not a negative person," Annie said.

"What?"

"I'm a genuinely happy and optimistic person," Annie stated. "I'm not cool. I…I think Radiohead is overrated and I don't know why it's hip to buy jeans that look old and dirty." She sighed. "I don't even own a leather jacket."

Britta had the gall to chuckle then and Annie felt her indignation rise. "I know that, Annie. And…so does Jeff."

"He said he came because of me," the younger woman responded, uncertain of why she was even saying it out loud.

"He did," the blonde said reluctantly. "He was really…" She sighed. "Just…trust me." Annie wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. She was tired of trusting people. She wanted to hear something real. Was there a way for her to get into the wine cellar before the party?

Maybe immediately?

"Hey," Britta spoke up after a moment. "Do you know what kind of movie Abed is making?" she asked. "Troy won't tell me what they're doing."

"No idea," Annie answered. "Why, are you in it?"

"Yeah," Britta replied. "I filmed some stuff yesterday at Pierce's mansion."

"Was Pierce there?" Annie asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"Pierce is never around," Britta responded. "Troy never sees him either and they live together."

Annie glanced down as an army of uniformed waiters filed onto the patio and shook her head. She was in so far over her head she didn't even know where the surface even was anymore. "So, what did you film?"

"I don't know really," Britta answered. "I was a drunk. I wore pearls and pushed someone in a pool."

Annie frowned. "I think this movie is going to be kind of weird."

"Yeah," Britta agreed.

There was a staccato knock on the glass door behind Annie and she jumped before turning around to see Marco glaring at her. "I gotta go," she said distractedly while giving the slight man an emphatic nod.

"It shouldn't matter, but you look beautiful," Britta announced. "Have a great time, Annie."

Annie smiled to herself despite the tense conversation she'd just had with the other woman. "Thank you." She ended the call and stepped back into the cool bedroom, smiling apologetically at the two irate people who were staring at her. "Sorry."

"She chewed off her lip color," Marco pointed out acerbically, holding out his hand for Lucia to hand him the tiny tub of color. "Don't bite your lip," he commanded as he grabbed her chin to re-apply her makeup.

"Can I ask…" Annie muttered around the brush he was pressing against her lips. "Do you guys know why Camilla is doing this?" She watched as the two exchanged a weighted look. "I mean, it's really nice of her, but…"

"We just set the scene." Lucia stepped toward her holding a fresh magnolia in her hand.

Marco plucked it from the tall woman. "What you choose to do with it is up to you, honey." He tucked it into her hair before cocking his head to the side. "What do you think?" he asked, looking over toward Lucia.

She shrugged. "I think we've done what we can," she answered.

Marco rolled his eyes toward Annie before smiling at her more warmly than she'd seen him manage all afternoon. "You look lovely." He lifted his chin. "Now, chest out." Annie straightened her back. "Knock 'em dead."

Annie nodded mutely and allowed herself to be pushed toward her bedroom door. Lucia opened it for her and the sound of muffled conversation wafted up toward them. She felt a bony hand clamp onto her shoulder and turned to looked up at the older woman. She nodded silently at Annie and Annie shrank away from her slightly before nodding in response.

She took a deep breath.

Here went nothing.


	22. Chapter 22

Jeff stared at his reflection critically. It was scary how good he looked. The idea that he could find a vintage tuxedo in his closet that had belonged to Pierce twenty or thirty years ago and that it would fit and look good on him was fairly terrifying, but Jeff was trying not to focus on that fact. He couldn't think about wearing Pierce's pants _again_. He straightened his too-wide tie and frowned at himself in the mirror before pulling the tie off altogether and unbuttoning the top two buttons. Jeff could work the open collar, but he couldn't wear a wide tie. With a final twist of his purposely-tousled hair, Jeff left his room and paused in the hallway.

Annie's door was closed and he could hear muffled conversation on the other side. He hadn't seen her in almost three hours. She'd been holed up in her room with strangers who were supposedly transforming her. Jeff wasn't sure what they could possibly be doing to her that she wouldn't still look like Annie.

She _better _still look like Annie when she came out. She didn't need to be made over. What was Camilla's angle? Jeff had thought he would be able to lawyer her a little that afternoon when she'd banished Annie to the house. He'd asked her if she wanted to join him for a swim, swallowing down the taste of bile appearing in his mouth. But Camilla had made a hasty retreat the second Annie had been out of sight. She had too many other things to attend to. She couldn't join him in the pool.

Jeff moved down the stairs by himself and was met with a small crowd of people who were already mingling on the main floor. One man made eye contact with him and shot him a look, as if to say 'what are you doing at our party?'

Unknown Italian man had a point.

Because Jeff had no idea what he was doing there or how any of this had really happened. If asked, he wouldn't really be able to trace back the last week in a way that made sense. He'd been playing Nintendo with Britta and then he'd paid Pierce a visit and then at some point, it had become okay to make out with Annie. Well, okay with _her _at least. He would take everyone else one step at a time. And he already knew what Pierce's reaction would be. Maybe he could figure out something else as far as that went though.

As he strolled through the throngs of people all chatting in a language he didn't speak, Jeff spotted Rich and Sergio speaking at the edge of the dining room. He really needed Annie to come downstairs soon, because they were his only other option. He slowly walked over to them, ready with a sarcastic quip about the chef coat that Sergio was wearing for the evening. Any Batali-related jokes died on his tongue. Rich and Sergio were in the middle of a heated discussion, whispering to each other in a mixture of English and Italian. Rich pointed emphatically at Sergio and then waved his hand upward before he noticed Jeff.

"Jeff," he greeted, making his smile as convincing as possible. Jeff returned it quickly before narrowing his eyes toward the crowd five feet to their left.

"Do you know any of these people?" Jeff asked Sergio, quirking an eyebrow at the Italian.

"Friends of Camilla's?" Sergio guessed and Jeff didn't miss the look of annoyance that Rich shot in the chef's direction.

"I know I shouldn't care because this is Pierce's house," Jeff noted dryly as he looked back over his shoulder. "But how do we…" A short man with a bad toupee and three chins stepped out of the way and she came into view. Something seized up fiercely in his chest and Jeff actually heard part of a whimper escape his throat. "Holy crap," he muttered to himself, his eyes widening. Who the hell was that? She was elegant and sexy and _womanly_, but was still very much Annie. Her giant blue eyes scanned the crowd and Jeff felt a desperate embarrassing hope that _he_ was who she was looking for. Their eyes met across the crowded room, and just like in every cheesy clichéd movie he'd never watched, her smile was real and it was for him and Jeff knew now what that feeling was in his chest.

It was terror.

Because if this Annie was the same as book bag- toting Annie and gun-slinging Annie and occasionally crazy-pants Annie, if Jeff had to reconcile in his head that they were all the same person as the woman who was smiling at him, things were going to get really complicated for him.

"Jeff?" he heard Rich ask from behind him, but he couldn't manage more than half a nod in the doctor's direction before he was moving across the room toward her in a way he hoped at least looked nonchalant. He watched her pull her lip inward to chew on it and stop before flattening her palms against her dress to smooth down non-existent wrinkles.

"Hi," Annie greeted him, the nerves obvious in her voice and Jeff grinned at her.

"Hey." He let his eyes move slowly down her form, taking in everything at a leisurely pace that made Annie's arms move restlessly at her sides. "New dress?" he asked when he met her eyes again.

She colored and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Yeah." Her eyelashes fluttered at him demurely. "Does it look okay?" But somewhere behind her put-on affectations, there was a real uncertainty to her words. That realization made Jeff suck in a lungful of air.

Did she really not know?

His eyebrows shot up. "That…isn't a dress," he said evenly. "It's an Audrey Hepburn movie."

Annie's mouth opened slightly in surprise before her eyes clouded over. After that, they narrowed dangerously. "Did you just 'Jerry Maguire' me?"

Jeff tilted his head back, searching his brain for where he had pulled the line from. It was good, but he knew it wasn't his. Shit. He had just 'Jerry Maguire'd her. He winced. "I think so." He grimaced. "Sorry. I meant…that dress is a…" _Be subversive!_ "…Jeffrey Jones movie."

"Who?" she asked in confusion.

Damn the generation gap.

"He was the principal in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'," Jeff explained hesitantly, realizing how lame it sounded in his own ears. Annie furrowed her brow.

"That guy with the red hair?" she asked. "Wasn't he in that movie about the alien duck?"

Jeff quirked an eyebrow at her in surprise. "Yes?"

She chuckled. When Annie's eyes settled on his suit, she fell silent. "Where did you get a tuxedo?" He glanced down at himself, smoothing his hands down the front of his vintage jacket.

"Would you believe it was in my closet?" he asked, not believing it himself. Her eyes slid down his body and Jeff smiled openly at her.

"It looks good," Annie concluded in a self-conscious tone, and Jeff knew somehow that it was the tone she'd used in every high school conversation she'd ever had with Troy. Always giving to other people and never getting any return on it.

"That's because I'm really good-looking, Annie." Jeff raised his eyebrows and glanced down at her one more time. "You…" He let out a low whistle. "You look like…"

Annie batted her eyes at him. "Like Mr. Rooney?" she asked with a straight face.

"Something like that," he replied with a nod.

"Annie!" Both of their heads turned toward Rich, who was walking to them quickly with a huge smile on his face. Sergio was at his heels, a strange expression on his face that Jeff couldn't place. Anxiety? Was that it? "You look so beautiful," Rich went on as he leaned in and wrapped his arms around her lithe form.

And she beamed.

Jeff's jaw tightened in frustration, but for once it wasn't directed at Rich. It was directed at himself. Why hadn't he said that? Would it have been that hard to just tell her how amazing she looked? She wanted to hear it from him, he knew that much. He'd had his window and he'd stalled, chosen to banter instead.

And now Rich had his stupid surgeony hands all over her. That was where _his _hands were supposed to be.

Didn't Rich know that yet?

"Bellisima," Sergio agreed as he too moved toward her and then embraced her warmly. Oh. Much better. Rich's expression hardened slightly and it escaped nobody's notice. Jeff watched Annie look between the two men before settling on Rich.

What the hell was going on and why didn't he know about it? The three were communicating without speaking and it was unnerving him. How had it happened that Rich and Sergio knew Annie better than Jeff did? When had that happened?

Jeff felt the sudden impulse to start drinking and decided to chase that feeling. He strode away from the threesome, leaving them all enjoying each other's company. He needed to regroup before talking to Annie again. It couldn't be that hard to track down some type of liquor, right? In every direction he turned, Jeff was faced with uniformed butlers carrying bottles of wine adorned with Pierce's face. Across the room, Rich and Annie were now dancing.

Was this actually a nightmare?

The lack of Captain Kangaroo riding a dolphin and his third grade teacher Mrs. Kingswood coming on to him told him no.

Jeff grabbed a glass from a passing tray and drank it down all at once. The wine was actually really good. How did Pierce fall ass backwards into brilliance all the time? The glass was dropped to a table near the foyer.

"Jeff?" He spun and was looking down at Annie's wide eyes again. "Is everything okay?"

No.

"Yeah," he answered with a shrug, trying to make himself seem as careless as possible. "Why would you ask?"

Her face changed, became more distant and Jeff wanted to kick the nearby wall. What the hell was wrong with him? "Okay," she replied slowly. She cast her eyes down and excused herself silently. Jeff's head fell back and he let his eyes stare blankly upward. Two faces he didn't recognize stared back at him before pulling back from the second floor railing they were leaning over.

What the hell?

Everyone in Italy was crazy.

Jeff found himself moving quickly through the growing crowd of people he didn't recognize. This party sucked. A woman with drawn on eyebrows gave him the once over, but he was too distracted to even care, let alone do something about it. It wasn't until he reached the kitchen that Jeff paused to breathe. Several feet away, Sergio had taken over a job as bartender. "Giotto," he called boisterously, waving him over. "Would you like a bellini?"

Jeff regarded him unsurely. "Uh…what's in it?"

"Sparkling wine and pesca, uh peach puree," Sergio replied, holding up a ready-made glass full of it. Jeff wrinkled his nose, but pulled it from the chef's grasp and took a sip.

"This," he said as he pulled it away from his mouth with a grimace, "is a chick drink."

"Camilla suggested we serve it in Annie's honor," Sergio explained. "It's young and fresh and innocent, like a peach. Like Annie."

Would it be rude to punch him in the mouth?

That was how they handled things on 'The O.C'.

Jeff knew he was nodding, but couldn't really feel it. He just couldn't talk to Sergio and not want to strangle the life out of him. Sergio, who was comparing Annie to a young innocent peach. There was something going on that Jeff was definitely not in on. "Yeah," he finally agreed flatly before wandering away from the perpetually happy cook.

Rich and Sergio were arguing. Were they arguing over her? Was he not even in the running? He was the one who had been kissing her. Jeff had to assume he was the _only _one who was kissing her. Annie hadn't talked to him about either Rich or Sergio though, never offering information on what her relationship with either of them was.

The patio was surprisingly full of people in designer formal wear, all milling around being classy and foreign. A live band played from the other side of the pool, all dressed in dinner jackets. A man slid past him, laughing so hard he sprayed what Jeff could only hope was cheese onto his coat. It was going to be a very long night at this rate. "Jeff," he heard a murmur behind him and felt his spine stiffen. Turning, he came face to face with Camilla.

It just kept getting better and better.

She was smiling at him in a way that made Jeff nervous. "Are you enjoying the party?" she asked, arching an overly manicured eyebrow.

"Not particularly," he replied as if she'd been looking for an honest answer. "I think it's the large amount of people not speaking a language I understand and the lack of streaking." Jeff glanced over Camilla's shoulder. "Not that I want to see most of these people with their clothes on."

Camilla smirked at him knowingly. "I would have thought that you would be enjoying yourself quite a bit," she said as she glanced over her shoulder quickly, searchingly. "Haven't you seen our young Annie yet?" The blonde's eyes settled on his again. "Quite a surprising turnaround, huh?"

Jeff glowered at her. "This isn't 'The Princess Diaries'," he stated. "She was already gorgeous. Just because you're putting her in expensive clothes doesn't mean you're making some discovery here."

"Ooh," Camilla cooed with a knowing smile. "Did I touch a nerve?" Jeff closed his eyes, willing her to just go away. When his eyes popped open again, he found her still watching him, almost curious. "Don't tell me you actually care about her." The idea seemed almost shocking to her.

Jeff narrowed his eyes. "I wish that was in some way your business," he answered.

Camilla's mouth curled into a scary grin that reminded Jeff fleetingly of the Grinch. "That's a yes," she pointed out.

Jeff stared her down seriously. "Whatever you think you're doing with her, stop it. I'm not kidding." He crossed his arms over his chest and inclined his head farther downward toward the glassy-eyed woman. "If anything you're doing hurts her, _I_ will hurt _you_."

Camilla's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I could say the same to you, Jeff. What do you think it is you're doing with her?" A smirk formed on her face. "Do you really think you can get through this without breaking that little girl's heart?"

His jaw clenched tightly. "She is _not_ a little girl," he snarled out, causing Camilla to step back in surprise. "She's a woman and she's not here for you to play with."

Something dark glinted in the socialite's eyes, something that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "I know that." She stepped into his personal space. "She's not here for you to play with either."

He grimaced. "Do you leak vodka out of your pores?" He took a breath. "Annie and I are friends," Jeff responded slowly. "We both know that no matter what happens here, we'll still be friends."

"Jeff," she said in a low tone. "Annie can say that and even believe that all she wants, but it isn't going to work."

"Don't you have some young waiter's ass to be grabbing?" Jeff asked, trying to deflect her.

She wasn't deterred.

"And you've put her through enough," she continued.

Jeff felt something click into place in his brain. "How often do you talk to Pierce?"

Camilla was clearly thrown for a moment, however she recovered quickly. "I haven't talked to Pierce in years," she claimed with a wave of her hand that wasn't holding onto a glass of wine. "Why would you ask?"

"No reason," Jeff answered. "It just seems odd that you would spend how much money? How much time and effort?" He tilted his head to the side. "All on a woman you just met."

"What are we talking about?" He rolled his eyes over toward Kevin, who was approaching them with a wide smile. "Great party, huh?" Jeff smiled sarcastically at him, his eyes lighting up quickly.

"I can hardly contain myself," Jeff shot back dryly. Behind Kevin, Annie stepped out to the patio with Rich at her heels, smiling widely. He was striding toward her before he even realized it. Her eyes widened in surprise at his sudden approach, but she remained silent. "Hey," he greeted lightly, which he was sure was at odds with the intense way he could feel himself looking at her.

"Enjoying Kevin's company?" she asked with a shy smile and Jeff exhaled before looking back over at the now-squabbling pair.

"It's nice that they found each other, don't you think?" he asked with a sardonic grin that she returned easily. "How do you like your party?"

That wrinkle formed between Annie's eyebrows again, the one that displayed her worry so well. "Was the point of this really just to get a bunch of her friends drunk on Pierce's wine?"

"That and to try to get a young waiter into bed with her," Jeff nodded toward Kevin and Camilla. "Or maybe with _them_ I guess."

She chuckled and looked up at him with slightly unfocused eyes. "Hey, have you been avoiding me?"

"Uh…" He furrowed his brow in fake confusion. "No. Why would you say that?" Her head turned down instantly and Jeff winced again. "You been having fun dancing with Rich?" he asked, trying to keep the disdain out of his voice.

"Yes," Annie answered without acknowledging his obvious passive-aggression. "He's a really good dancer."

"I'm sure he teaches children deaf children how to tap dance in his spare time." She frowned to herself. "He's not that perfect, you know Annie." Her eyes met his, almost calculatingly before flicking to the side and coming back.

"I know," Annie said slowly, purposefully.

Crap. She was doing that thing where she read his mind again. He could feel her in there, poking and prodding through his sub-conscious. He tried to think of a reason to distract her from her audit of his brain and focused on her cloudy eyes. "Have you been drinking?"

Annie rolled her eyes. "I am not drunk, Jeff."

"Did I say you were drunk?" he countered.

"Sergio gave me a bellini," she responded with a glance back toward the house. "It tasted good." Her gaze was uncertain. "So I had another one."

Jeff pursed his lips and nodded. "Awesome. Some Italian guy you've known for two minutes has been getting you drunk." Annie's mouth dropped open in protest. "I think you should probably stop now, though."

"Stop trying to parent me," she hissed.

"I'm not trying to parent you," Jeff answered. "I am trying to take care of you." There was a tension between them that he could feel flooding into his lungs.

"Why?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm….gonna leave you two alone," Rich spoke up and Jeff turned to him in surprise. He'd completely forgotten the doctor was standing there. He watched Rich stride away, an unasked question on his tongue.

"Yeah," Annie replied, reading his mind.

"Really? Like even when I was…"

"Talking about him? Yeah." Jeff had the decency feel slightly bad about that. He gave her a sheepish half smile and Annie rolled her eyes with a grin. "Fortunately, I think it takes more than that to offend Rich." She looked toward the doctor with what could only be considered affection. "He's pretty great."

Jeff's smile froze. "Do you do this on purpose?" he asked her.

Her head whipped back toward him. "What do you mean?"

He inclined his head toward her knowingly. "Come on, Annie." She swallowed. "You gush over that fake pile of J. Crew," he motioned toward Rich. "You have inside jokes and secrets with Sergio." His arm waved toward the house. "You're doing it to upset me, right?"

"No," she frowned. Jeff watched her entire face soften and felt a pain in his stomach. Oh no. "Are you?"

She was very good. He actually was almost proud of her ability to so deftly understand which move to make and which moment to make it. There was a portion of him that wanted to gently chuck her under the chin, but it was overshadowed by the far more intense impulse to drop his mouth to her neck to see what it tasted like. How was it possible that he could have so many simultaneous and conflicting feelings for her?

"Do you want me to be upset?" he asked, deflecting as smoothly as he could manage. Annie merely smiled up at him quietly, her expression unreadable. Jeff could feel what was about to happen, but couldn't stop it. "Fine. Yes," he whispered harshly, not able to meet her gaze. "I'm upset." He didn't _have_ to meet her gaze to feel her smile. He could feel it radiating from her, lighting up the space around her as if she was actually magical.

Maybe she was.

When he trusted himself to look at her, really _look_ at her, he felt his chest give a painful twinge. "You look…." Jeff paused, not able to find the right word. "You…" He breathed and watched Annie's back straighten ever so slightly. What was wrong with him? He told women they were beautiful all the time. That was what he was trying to say, what he _wanted_ to say. It was what she wanted him to say. He couldn't make the word leave his throat for some unknown reason. Annie let her eyes fall from his awkwardly. Jeff cleared his throat and stepped into her personal space to glance down at her. Her large eyes are on him again, intensely studying him with naked hope. For once, he didn't guard his expression, letting his smile reach full effect before pulling it back slightly. "Did you-" Jeff paused and started again. "Would you like to dance with me?" he asked with a bow of his head.

She looked at him unsurely for a moment. "Jeff, you don't have to."

"Annie," he remarked as he held his hand out to her. "I never do anything I don't want to do."

She put her small hand in his and he pulled her toward him with more force than was necessary. She fit too easily against his frame and smelled too good and felt too good once she was there. Annie glanced up at him with pink cheeks and the slightest edge of a smile. "You look great," Jeff finally murmured to her with more conviction than he meant to use. Her eyes were wide and her smile was wider, brighter than he could remember ever having experienced. "Actually, you look amazing." He watched as her smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "What's wrong?" She shook her head. "Annie?" he asked slowly, not knowing what was happening. She nodded in response without giving any kind of answer. He chuckled unsurely. "Are…you okay?"

"I'm great," she nodded emphatically. "I just…" She glanced toward a group of people gathered near the pool. "…I'm in Italy." Annie shrugged and grinned to herself. "I'm in Italy and I'm wearing a dress that cost twelve hundred dollars at a fancy party where Jeff Winger is dancing with me and telling me I look amazing." She stopped to swallow and gave her head a hard shake. "It's a little hard to believe. I mean, none of this is real, right?"

"I'm not real?" Jeff asked defensively as his frame slouched slightly. Annie shrugged her shoulders and gave him a small self-conscious smile and pulled her lower lip into her mouth to chew on it. "I'm real," he assured her and reached out to poke her in the arm. She flinched away with the beginnings of a smile. After a beat of silence, she raised her eyebrows questioningly. There was that face again, the wide pleading eyes that made his resolve disappear every single time. Jeff didn't give himself time to weigh his options or question either of their motives. He stooped down to press his lips against hers. Annie brought a hand up to his neck without pause and pulled him closer to her as she opened her mouth. She tasted like champagne and smelled like peaches and was so small in his embrace. Jeff's hands settled on her satin-clad hips and he felt more than heard himself groan at the sensation of the fabric under his fingers. She sighed contentedly into his mouth and the sound acted as a lightning rod to his entire body.

A huge splash came from behind Jeff and Annie, casting a light chlorinated spray over them. Annie pulled away from him and glanced in the direction of the pool. A dozen people in formalwear were floating in the deep end, all yelling at each other in Italian. Jeff scanned the crowd near the edge of the pool and his eyes landed on Camilla, who was watching him intently. He glared at her before turning his eyes back to Annie, who was blushing in the direction of the soggy party guests. Their eyes met and she looked at him imploringly. Jeff sighed. "I'll get the shepherd's crook and start fishing them out."

Jeff spent the next hour getting yelled at by soggy strangers in a language he didn't understand. The lawyer inside of him knew he needed to get them off the property before anything worse happened. Slowly but surely, with the reluctant help of Kevin and Rich, Jeff and Annie managed to stop the party. How was it fair that they were left to clean up Camilla's mess? He somehow knew that she'd been the one to shove the group into the pool, but why? It wasn't until he'd shoved the last slurring Italian out the door that Jeff was able to go in search of Annie again. He found her sprawled on one of the expensive couches in the living room, her eyes half closed as she quietly conversed with Rich, who sat next to her.

Could he settle himself on the half cushion between them?

Or would that be too obvious?

"Hey," Jeff greeted them as lightly as he could. It was not a good time to stab Rich in the eye like he usually wanted to.

Annie sat up slightly and tried to look more composed. "Was that how that party was supposed to go?"

"I think," Jeff answered as came closer, "that it was exactly what Camilla wanted to have happen." She looked quizzically at him, but Rich's features darkened to the point that it actually caught Jeff's attention. Annie struggled to stand up and bent to retrieve the shoes she'd deposited onto the floor by the couch. The movement caused her body to pitch forward unsurely and Jeff instinctively sprang forward to steady her, Rich doing the same from her side. She caught herself and let out a giggle before straightening up with her shoes in her hand. Jeff looked over Annie's head toward Rich with narrowed eyes.

"I think I'm going to turn in," she announced with a slight slur. Annie tottered off toward the stairs with Jeff's eyes following her every step of the way. When she was out of sight, he turned a dark expression toward Rich again.

"Okay, what is going on here?"

Rich's eyebrows rose. "What do you mean buddy?"

"Rich, we are not buddies," Jeff noted slowly, not really believing that he still had to make that clear to him. "Something is going on around this house and I am the only one who doesn't know what that is." He crossed his arms over his chest and studied the rapid changes that crossed Rich's face. "There's something going on with Camilla and Sergio and you." His eyes narrowed dangerously, taking a hold of all of the dislike he'd ever felt for the man in front of him. "What is Pierce's plan here? I know he has one."

The doctor's mouth dropped open in surprise before he could recover. "I…gee, I really don't know."

"Rich…" Jeff started threateningly.

"I really don't," he answered, raising his hands in defense of an attack that wasn't going to come. "All I know is that Camilla had a plan for the party tonight."

"And that involved Sergio getting Annie drunk," Jeff led the witness. Rich didn't respond. "And you're her friend, huh?" He turned and exited the room, quickly climbing the stairs. When he reached the landing, Jeff approached her half-closed door and paused to give a soft knock. No answer. He slowly pushed the door open.

Annie turned around quickly, her red lips forming on 'O' of surprise. "Jeff," she sighed as she let her shoulders slump. She smiled and turned her back to him again to busy herself with taking her hair down, plucking the flower from it. "If you're here to take it back, do it now." He stated confusedly at the back of her head.

"Take what back?" he asked, not able to remember anything specific he should be regretting. Other than most of it.

"This kiss,' Annie slurred. "That's what happens next, right?"

Oh.

She thought he'd come up the stairs to talk about discretion. Truthfully, it still wasn't a terrible conversation to have at some point, but it hadn't even occurred to him to bring it up. "No," he said slowly as he moved toward her. "I wanted to make sure you got up here without passing out on the stairs. They would do a number on your back."

She turned around and blinked at him silently before she opened her mouth to speak. "You don't want to deny that you kissed me?"

"Which time?" he asked with a smirk and he could actually see Annie's pupils dilate. She turned her back to him and lifted her hair.

"Could you get my zipper?" she asked in a high tight voice that highlighted her nerves.

Jeff faltered. "Annie, this is a bad idea."

"I just need help getting the zipper down," Annie answered innocently, flashing her big blue eyes at him over a bare shoulder. His fingers grasped the zipper and began to tug it down slowly. Jeff heard himself gulp at the sight of exposed skin and resisted the desperate urge to lick her shoulder blade. That would be a very bad idea.

Probably.

When the zipper was a low as it would go, Jeff gave a little cough. "There you go," he said in a light conversational tone, as if he was serving her a refill on diet coke rather than helping take her clothes off.

"Thanks," Annie mumbled breathlessly. "Can you turn around for a minute?"

Jeff's eye's widened as he took in her meaning. "Yeah," he agreed as he spun on the spot and closed his eyes for good measure. The sound of rustling fabric behind him caused Jeff to bite the inside of his cheek hard, his hands working into fists at his sides. She was getting naked. She was less than ten feet away and she was getting naked. He knew he shouldn't be thinking about it, least of all because it was degrading, although he had a hard time thinking Annie would fine it degrading. No, the bigger problem was that she was at least mostly drunk and they couldn't….do anything if she was drunk. So he needed to stop remembering what she looked like wet and naked and instead start focusing on what Kevin might look like wet and naked.

Much better.

The dress hit the carpet with a soft _whoosh_ and his knees almost buckled under him. It was just a naked woman, he'd dealt with them before. He needed to get a grip on himself. And she wouldn't be naked when he turned back around.

Wait, would she?

He couldn't really count anything out when it came to Annie, which put his nerves on edge basically every minute he spent with her. He was just as likely to want to hug her as he was to strangle her. The only thing he'd ever really cared about keeping organized and seperated was his…feelings, and she made it impossible sometimes. All the edges of his carefully erected emotions were getting wet and bleeding together. She was muddying his waters and she didn't even realize it. Hell, _he_ hadn't realized it. Why would she?

"Okay," she murmured and Jeff's feet shuffled around so he was facing her again. Annie stood before him in nothing but a Human Beings shirt that was clearly about seven sizes too big. She looked adorable. And sexy. He should not look down at the pile of clothes to see what else she'd taken off. He definitely shouldn't…._Oh_. "Garrett ordered the wrong size," she said, motioning to the shirt that was so large it hung past her knees.

Jeff's face wrinkled. "You're wearing Garrett's shirt?"

"He never wore it," she explained with a shake of her head.

"Oh," Jeff answered, feeling infinitely better when she nodded in agreement. He watched as Annie pulled her lower lip into her mouth again.

Think about Tom Selleck.

Think about Lois, the lunch lady at school.

At least stop thinking about the inside of Annie's _mouth_ for a second!

Jeff averted his eyes, but it was too late. She moved toward him on wobbly legs, and Jeff met her gaze unsurely. She quirked an eyebrow and Jeff felt his self-restraint pack up shop. When she tugged him down to her by the lapels of his jacket, he went almost too willingly, wanting to give her whatever she was asking him for. Annie's mouth opened to him immediately and he slid his tongue against hers and let his arms wrap themselve around her small cotton-clad form. She still tasted like champagne, fruity and intoxicating and when she groaned and pushed him backwards, he was helpless to stop her. In the back of his mind somewhere he understood how women could convince their husbands to kill, because he was sure he would do anything she asked him to at that moment.

The backs of his knees hit the bed and then he was suddenly sprawled against her duvet. Annie somewhat sloppily planted herself astride him and leaned down to kiss him again. His hands rose to push her hair out of her face before he gently rolled them over. Annie looked up at him with heavy-lidded eyes before giving him a smile that almost snapped his control. He moved in and kissed her again hungrily, letting one hand begin to run up her side to her breast. Would she throw him out if he tried?

He had his answer a moment later as she let out a guttural moan when his thumb brushed against the outer curve lightly. Her head fell back against the bed and her eyes fluttered closed. He let his palm fully cover her and felt her hardened nipple press against him. "Jeff," she moaned out and Jeff's eyes darted to her face. Forget every fantasy he'd never had about this woman, the reality was much better than what he'd anticipated. He leaned in and kissed her again and she responded messily, a feeling he was all too familiar with. No, he hadn't wanted their first time to be when she was drunk, but she had initiated what they were doing. Jeff pulled away and watched her face as he teased her nipple with the pad of his thumb. Her eyelids were moving too rapidly and then her head lurched to the side. She moaned again, but this one didn't sound good.

Wait-

"Annie?" he asked gently and her eyes opened slowly, completely unfocused now.

"Is the room spinning?" she bleated out before trying to sit up. "Oh," she groaned out and flopped back against the bed. Jeff sighed down at her. "What's happening?" she asked.

"Go to sleep, Annie." He took all of his weight off of her and watched as her eyes slid closed again.

"No," she whined quietly. Within a minute, she had passed out.

Jeff sat there on the bed, just watching her. She didn't seem like she was going to throw up or stop breathing, but he wasn't feeling ready to take any chances. He had no idea how much she had drank or what her tolerance was. Jeff climbed off the bed and lifted her forgotten dress from the floor and hung it up before retrieving a glass of water, two aspirin and the small wastebasket from her bathroom and then returned to the bed. He dropped the glass and the aspirin onto the nightstand and placed the wastebasket directly under them.

Working as carefully as he could, he slid the covers down and then over the top of a still-sleeping Annie. She looked so young and innocent. When he wasn't dealing with her sharp eyes and sometimes even sharper tongue she did seem as if she was a little girl. He knew better now though, maybe he always had. He'd kept her at exactly arm's length because while he knew he shouldn't have her, couldn't want her, he never wanted anyone else to have a chance. He didn't care how selfish that made him seem.

Jeff made his decision and started to undress right there. If Annie had been faking to get a free show, she was very good, because she didn't move. He carefully draped his clothes across the back of her chair and slid under the covers on the other side of the bed. Sleeping in the bed with her was the best solution. He kept telling himself that it was just because he didn't want her to choke on her own vomit and die. If that happened, it would really ruin his vacation.

It was easier than admitting that he needed to be able to hear her breathing or he wouldn't get any sleep himself.


	23. Chapter 23

Annie cracked open one dry eye and was met with a blast of too bright sunlight. She squeezed it shut again and groaned. Did her head always weigh this much? Climbing out of bed, Annie stumbled toward the bathroom. The bleary-eyed girl who stared back at her didn't look all that familiar. Her face was still smeared with traces of makeup from the previous night. Her hair, which had looked so romantic, now looked like a realistic approximation of a rat's nest. She washed her face and brushed her teeth and hair. At least now she looked human-like again, even if she didn't necessarily feel it yet. She left the bathroom and froze when her eyes landed on the bed.

He was sound asleep, flat on his back. Had he really been there all night? She felt herself blush. Annie glanced down at herself confusedly. She remembered kissing him, but nothing that may have happened after that. And now he was lying in her bed and at least _appeared _to be naked. A quick scan of the room revealed his clothes draped over the back of her chair.

What had _happened_?

Cautiously, Annie climbed onto the bed and edged her way toward him on her knees, tucking her hair behind her ears as she tried to think of a way to wake him up. Should she shake him? Poke him? What was the best way to wake up a naked person who you unexpectedly found in your bed? Annie had no experience with this sort of thing. Ironically, Jeff would know exactly how to handle such a situation.

Finally plucking up her courage, Annie leaned over him and poked him aggressively on the shoulder. Jeff frowned deeply before blinking his eyes open. She watched as he winced and then looked up at her with half-open eyes. "Hi," he greeted her in a voice still gravelly from sleep.

"Hey," Annie replied before biting her lip harshly to keep a dozen questions from urgently shooting out of her mouth.

Jeff regarded her for a moment. "How do you feel?" he asked as he propped himself up on one elbow.

"Little headache, but mostly good." She winced against the sunlight a moment later and Jeff gave a throaty chuckle before pointing behind her to the aspirin and water glass that sat there. "Oh." As gracefully as she could, Annie crawled over to the nightstand and lifted the pills to her mouth. They were bitter and chalky and swallowing them down with the room temperature water didn't help the situation. "Thanks," she answered belatedly after making a series of faces that left Jeff rolling his eyes at her. "Um…" Annie took another mouthful of water and swished it around before swallowing. "…what exactly happened last night, Jeff?"

His eyes, still mostly cloudy from sleep, opened more widely. "Oh, uh…" His eyebrows met in the middle of his forehead. "What do you remember?"

Annie stilled. She would never forgive herself if she'd had sex with Jeff Winger and was too drunk to even remember it. Was he implying that they had? "Um, I remember coming up here."

"Do you remember…_me_ coming up here?" he asked slowly, an anxious edge to his voice. She nodded silently. Jeff exhaled.

"And then…" Annie flushed at the memory of how she'd acted.

"You took off all your clothes and attacked me, yeah." He was nodding now with total sincerity. Annie blushed and dropped her mouth open to protest before realizing Jeff was essentially correct. "How much did you actually drink last night, Annie?"

She furrowed her brow in thought. There had been the one she'd taken from Camilla and the second one she'd been handed by Sergio. After that, she'd grabbed at least two more herself. Hadn't she? She couldn't remember right now. Jeff was staring at her and the effect he was having on her even now, head fuzzy and mouth acrid, was distracting. Jeff always prided himself on looking perfectly put together and now he was so wonderfully rumpled. She couldn't really make her brain engage like it needed to. "Five?" she guessed finally, after realizing that he was going to be expecting an answer from her at some point.

He smirked. "Okay, so at least now we know your limit."

She had to ask. It was the worst question in the world and she knew there was no good answer, but Annie needed to ask. "So…what did we _do_ exactly?"

Jeff's eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting that you passed out and I did stuff to you anyway?"

A tiny whimper shot up her throat and Annie coughed to cover it up. "No," she argued. "I just didn't know if it went farther than what I remembered."

Jeff sat up more fully. "Winger's not that desperate, babe."

Annie frowned. "So…then why are you here?"

The question seemed to surprise him, as if he really didn't expect to get asked how he had ended up in her bed at least mostly naked after they had clearly not _actually_ had sex. "Annie, you had passed out. I didn't know if you had alcohol poisoning."

She gave a short nod. "You were babysitting," she guessed.

"Basically," Jeff replied and Annie felt her heart sink in her chest. "If something had happened to you last night, I think it would have not gone over very well with our friends." She nodded again, more to herself than to him. "I mean, probably even worse than if they knew what we were about to do."

At that, her eyes locked with his. Jeff raised his eyebrows meaningfully and Annie's breath became somewhat shallow. "So…you did _want_ to..?" She couldn't bear to ask.

"Didn't you?" Jeff asked in response.

She nodded. "Yes," she confirmed with a whisper.

"Was it just because you were drunk and I looked hot last night?" he asked and she shook her head. "Annie," Jeff said and then leaned closer to her. "I'm a guy, so in general I always want to." She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, he was watching her carefully, working something through in his head. "More specifically, every time you…force me into a glee club or…" He cut off and took a breath. Annie couldn't breathe though. "…use your feminine wiles to get your way with me or… you _look _at me, I want…to."

Before she could think about what she was doing, Annie had flung herself forward and kissed him. He faltered for a moment and a noise of surprise tried to work its way out of his mouth, but then he had sunk his hands into her hair and started to respond. It was crazy and irrational and something that she definitely should not be doing, but Annie couldn't help herself.

His lips worked almost greedily against hers and Annie found herself throwing a leg over him to straddle Jeff in order to get closer. He immediately bent his legs at the knee, using gravity to force her closer still to him and then his hands were wandering her body and Annie felt her head get fuzzy again for a much different reason as she felt him respond from underneath her. She felt like her brain was dissolving in her head. There was no logic in what they were doing. Jeff's fingers deftly brushed down the sides of her thighs to where her skin was bare and Annie nodded her head, answering a question Jeff hadn't even asked yet. Without waiting for more of an answer, his large hands traced back up her thighs, this time under the shirt she was currently swimming in. He left a tingle in his wake to all the flesh he caressed.

No. She needed to stop this. Any second now she'd pull away and tell him that they had to have a serious talk before anything else could happen.

Or she could…

Annie dragged one hand down his bare chest, eliciting a growl from Jeff. She repeated the action and then let her fingertips rest against his firm abdomen. He broke away from her mouth and moved down the side of her neck as Annie attached herself to his earlobe. He shuddered and then tugged at the neckline of her shirt. Jeff made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat. He wanted her shirt off.

Jeff Winger wanted to take her shirt off.

It was almost surreal. How many times had she wanted this exact situation? Without another thought, Annie reached down and grasped the hemline of the shirt and tugged upward. "Annie," Jeff said in a dark warning tone.

Ignoring him completely, she pulled the shirt over her head and threw it to the side before wrapping her arms around his neck and continuing to kiss her way to his shoulder. Jeff's hands landed on her naked back before slowing edging their way forward to rest against her ribs, his thumbs brushing against the skin so few people had ever touched. Annie felt the rush of something shoot down to where she was settled against him and moaned at the sensation that it created. She sunk her teeth into his shoulder and he groaned. She wriggled slightly against him and whimpered at the feeling of him so close to her.

"Annie," he ground out slowly, as if the word had been pulled from him.

"Jeff," she rasped out. "I…I want…"

"We can stop," he muttered half-heartedly against her throat as his face continued to move down her body.

"No," Annie argued. His hot breath landed on her breast finally and her head lolled backwards. Jeff's hands were quick, returning to her back to hold her as she leaned away from him to give him better access to her. "Don't stop.," she begged softly. When his mouth made contact with her breast, Annie heard a breathy moan fill the room and was surprised to find she had made it. She had never heard that noise come out of her own mouth before. Small hands sunk into Jeff's legitimately mussed hair and held firm as he continued to tease her with his lips and tongue, causing everything to wind up tightly in her stomach. "Jeff," she repeated again the second before he took one tight nipple into his mouth and sucked gently and then Annie's brain was shorting out.

God, they never needed to talk again. Annie was sure that if she could keep him right where he was, there would never have to be any dialogue between them. Some tiny urgent thought that she'd been trying to hold onto since she'd climbed on top of him finally fizzled into nothing. Annie arched against him a moment later when he sucked again, now at her other breast. Had they _ever _really spoken? Had it all just been prelude to where they were now? Annie's hands slid out of his hair and down his sculpted arms, where she sunk her nails in and received an appreciative hum in response that she felt buzz through her body.

When Jeff pulled away from her now-slick chest, his eyes were darker than she'd ever seen them, maybe darker than she'd ever seen any eyes that were focused on her. Vaughn had always been so gentle, so loving with her. Worshipful even. But Jeff….Jeff's eyes were full of heat and intensity.

Intensity in him that _she'd _been the cause of.

That thought shocked Annie more than it should have, given her current position on top of him. If he had looked at Britta with even half this amount of passion in his eyes, how could Annie fault her friend for giving in?

_No. _

Don't think about Britta.

Annie leaned forward and met his lips again in an attempt to push away any similar thoughts. One of Jeff's large hands traced up to cup her face as their tongues battled and Annie felt something inside of her melt quickly, almost too quickly.

She definitely didn't want to stop. What if this was her only chance? Annie broke away from his mouth and pushed him backwards with as much force as she could. His eyes widened before narrowing almost wickedly when he took in her motive. Slowly, she worked her way down his chest, planting little biting kisses every inch. Jeff's fingers slid against her scalp as he hummed, sending a vibration through his chest that made Annie's stomach tighten deliciously. She was causing that. The idea gave her power. Her fingers dug into his sides, wanting to feel them vibrate, wanting to feel tangible proof of her power over him. When one hand slid over his underwear teasingly, Jeff groaned again. "Jesus, Annie."

Their eyes met and then his arms were hauling her back up toward him with almost too much force. She dropped to the mattress next to him and then Jeff was half-rolling on top of her. He kissed her deeply. Annie pulled him more fully on top of her before letting her legs fall open, cradling his hips. The feel of him made her squirm and then Jeff's palm was landing on her stomach, causing her to still. "Believe me," he murmured as he pulled away from her mouth. "I am definitely enjoying this." Annie beamed up at him and grabbed his face to pull him back down to her, but Jeff resisted. "But I think we need to think about slowing this down," he continued and Annie frowned up at him. "Because much longer and I…might not…"

He didn't finish his thought, because this time instead of pulling him down, Annie arched upward and kissed him into silence. She raised one of her legs to hook around his hip and pulled Jeff against her more tightly. "I don't want to stop, Jeff." She tried to speak as clearly as possible, but in the end could still hear the tremble in her voice. He pulled away far enough to study her face and Annie held his gaze in an unwavering fashion. The obvious desire in his eyes was tinged with doubt and without looking away, she fumbled for the hand he still had planted against her naked stomach and pushed it down further. The feeling of him touching her so lightly where she so badly wanted him caused her to shudder against him again. Annie watched him nervously for a moment before he made his decision and was kissing her again.

Had she been thinking only ten minutes ago that she felt terrible? Because for the life of her, Annie couldn't remember ever having felt better. Jeff pulled away enough to run one thumb between her legs and Annie bucked against him instinctively. "Annie," he muttered into her neck and then he was working his way down her torso, his stubble leaving a trail of slightly scratched skin. Annie threw her head back against the pillow, eyes fluttering closed for a moment before she struggled to sit up in time to watch him strip her bare. He pulled her underwear down her legs almost reverently and tossed them over his shoulder with a wink in her direction. Annie bit her lip, feeling the color flood to her cheeks and Jeff gave her such a suggestive grin that she collapsed back onto the mattress. Then his fingers were back, sliding against slippery flesh more teasingly than she would have liked. She should feel embarrassed by how clearly turned on he now knew she was, but she couldn't focus on anything but the wonder of his hands on her body.

"Do you-" Annie broke off to moan when he slipped a fingertip into her. He exhaled slowly. "No, I want…" She gasped and then bit her lip as she tried to press up toward him.

"You trailed off at the end there," Jeff murmured and Annie could hear the smirk in his voice. His lips moved across her stomach while he waited for her to speak. He pulled his finger out and then pushed it back in again, achingly slow this time. Annie let her cheek fall against the pillowcase and let out a low groan. "_That _was a good noise," he noted and she could actually feel his smile against her flesh.

"You," she bleated out, needing to feel him against her, inside of her already. She met his gaze and inhaled sharply. His eyes were dark and focused. "Please, Jeff."

Somewhere in the back of the section of her brain that still worked, Annie thought about that plan she'd had for him. She had wanted to make him beg, make him need her as much as she needed him. She'd wanted to torture him and watch his face fill with desire and wrap him around her little finger.

This was a far cry from that.

He twisted his finger and her eyes fluttered closed for a moment. Then he was pulling away from her in every sense and the mattress shifted as he climbed off of it. "Jeff?" Annie blinked in question.

"Yeah," he replied in a voice that was lower than normal. "I needed to get a…" She pushed herself up again and watched as he stripped off his boxer briefs and then found herself staring at him in all of his glory. Well, she had seen him naked before, but this was really different. Jeff held up the condom he'd retrieved and Annie nodded emphatically. He smiled at her then and Annie felt her heart clench. She took a shuddering breath in.

This was it.

There was a quick staccato noise somewhere behind her and then the door was swinging open. Annie screamed and grabbed the duvet to cover herself as completely as she could before glaring up at the door in shock. "Rich!" she squealed.

His face was ashen, flat. Then his eyes widened. "I'm so sorry, you guys." Annie whipped her head around to look in Jeff's direction. He was now crouched on the floor next to the bed, still completely naked and looking angrier than Annie had ever seen him. "I knocked and didn't…" Rich shook his head. "I'll just leave you two to…"

"Yeah," Jeff spit out. "Why don't you do that, Rich?"

The doctor had backed out of the room as quickly as he'd entered and they were alone again. Annie dropped her head into her hands. "Oh my god," she muttered. "Oh my God."

"About that, yeah." Jeff agreed.

"Oh my God."

"Relax, Annie." Her head snapped up to see he'd now put his underwear back on and was standing next to the bed. "It's okay."

"It's not okay," she argued with wide eyes. "How is this okay? We were finally…" She threw her hand down against the mattress next to her for emphasis and Jeff raised his eyebrows. "And now…" Annie covered her face with her hands again, wishing she had the ability to disappear altogether. She mumbled to Jeff through her hands. "Did you hear him knock?"

"I was a little pre-occupied," he replied dryly and Annie cringed into her open palms. How would she ever be able to look at Rich again? How would she ever be able to look at _Jeff_ again? "So, why is it that Dr. Rich is just coming into your bedroom unannounced in the morning?" She turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. Was he really still jealous? "Sorry, but the whole thing seems a little strange to me, Annie."

"We're friends," she defended. "We go into each other's rooms sometimes."

"Really?" Jeff asked sharply and Annie felt something heat up in her stomach.

"Yes," she replied acidicly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Haven't I made that clear yet, Annie?" Her mouth dropped open in surprise. "I thought we'd already established that you were being friendly with him to make me lose my mind."

"Not everything is about you," she argued with a frown, crossing her arms primly over the bedspread that she still had haphazardly tucked around her. She worked to straighten it out, more or less rolling sideways to wrap herself like a burrito.

"I actually have seen it all," Jeff observed and Annie glared at him.

"Yes, but that was different." She finally got herself organized. "I am not going to have a fight with you about Rich while I'm naked."

"Are we fighting about Rich?" he asked.

"Yes," Annie bit out.

Jeff stared at her for a moment. "Should I put more clothes on then?" he asked as he gestured down to his mostly naked mostly perfect body.

Annie shrugged. "Do whatever you want." Tucking her hair behind her ears, she looked up at him as evenly as she could. "Rich and I are friends, _Sergio _and I are friends. No more, no less." Jeff narrowed his eyes. "And I haven't been trying to make you jealous with them."

"What about when you told me you were going to sleep with that Roman stereotype?" Jeff shot back in a strangled tone.

She bit her lip. "Okay… _then_ I was trying to make you jealous."

"I _know_," he stated.

Annie swallowed slowly. There was a fix and she knew what it was. But she had promised Rich. She'd promised him. Biting her lip, she looked up at Jeff. He was watching her, waiting for her to make a decision on whether or not she was going to speak. She licked her lips and made her choice. "Jeff," she murmured. "Rich is…" She raised her eyebrows meaningfully, hoping that he would just guess. He mirrored her before letting his face fall flat again. "…gay," Annie finally finished and Jeff reared his head back in disbelief. When his shoulders rolled forward again, a contemplative expression was on his face.

"Really?" he asked in a high-pitched tone.

She nodded slowly. "He and Sergio are…" This time she didn't have to complete her sentence for him to get the meaning. Jeff's eyes widened and then he was dropping onto the bed next to her.

"Whoa," he muttered and Annie nodded in agreement.

"You can't say anything," Annie rushed to explain. "I promised him I wouldn't tell."

Jeff regarded her silently for a moment. "Why did you?"

"Because… I was tired of you thinking that there were any factors getting in our way besides _us_," Annie replied as honestly as she could and Jeff gave her a small smile.

"So, as far as mood killers go, that was the worst I've ever had," he noted as he jerked his head toward the door. "And I once had my grandma walk in on me."

"Jeff," Annie grimaced. "How is Rich worse than your grandmother?"

"She didn't know what I was doing," he explained. "So I didn't really have to stop." At that, she finally smacked him on the chest, her fingertips lingering for a moment too long.

"I…don't have that much experience with this kind of thing," Annie said slowly. "But that was awful, wasn't it?" Jeff's eyes widened. "No, not _that_ part. The 'having someone walk in on you'…part."

"Not as bad as Camilla would have been," Jeff cracked and Annie covered her face again. Rich had walked in on her about to have sex with Jeff. If someone had told her a week ago, a day ago that anything close to that could be a possibility, Annie would have laughed at the idea.

"Oh my God," Annie muttered again.

"It's seriously not that big of a deal," Jeff reiterated. "We'll just lock the door next time." Annie stilled before inhaling deeply. She looked at him unsurely to find him staring back at her confusedly. "What?"

"This…wasn't just a one-time…" She hated how timid her voice sounded to her own ears, but Annie couldn't help it.

Jeff wrinkled his forehead. "Like there's a _chance _that would be okay with you," he answered. Her eyes searched his and she bit her lip to keep from asking the immediate question that shot to her mouth. "I don't know," he replied to her without waiting for her to ask and Annie nodded. "But whatever we're doing I…want it."

She hadn't even realized she was holding her breath in until he stopped talking and she let it all out at once. "Okay," she agreed softly. It a long way from what she wanted, but much better than what she'd expected.

And it was more than enough for right now.

"We could do something today," Annie ventured cautiously after a beat of silence.

Jeff nodded. "Troy really recommended Venice."

Annie let out a chuckle. "Did he? Do we trust his judgment about this?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really have any reason not to judge him on his foreign sightseeing taste." He paused and inclined his head toward her. "Just so we're clear, we're not going to…"

"Could you still do it after that?" Annie questioned with wide eyes as she pointed toward the door. "With Rich coming in?"

Jeff groaned. "It would help if you stopped talking about it, you know."

"Sorry," she answered with a tiny smile. The silence stretched between them. "I…think I'm going to go shower?" she stated, raising her voice at the end.

Jeff nodded his head. "I think I'm going to sit here for a minute and try not to think about you in the shower." Annie scooted off the bed as gracefully as she could, smiling pityingly at him. "Maybe I'll think about…Leonard in the shower." He paused and then nodded. "Yeah, that will work."

Annie stepped into the bathroom and shut the door before sinking to the floor, still wrapped in the duvet. Had all of that really just happened? Her legs bent at the knee and she wrapped her arms around them and rocked against the door. She could still feel the stickiness between her thighs and felt herself blush at the thought that Jeff Winger's fingers had been there not five minutes prior. God, they had almost….

He'd said that they were going to do it again too. Hadn't he? Suddenly, Annie couldn't remember exactly what he'd said. Had he said that or just implied that he wanted to repeat what they'd done, or at least almost done?

She rose from the floor and dropped the blanket before stepping over to the shower and turning it on. Annie had been trying too hard for too long to not be in love with him. She wasn't stupid. She knew that he had faults, probably too many to even keep track of, but there was something simultaneously strong and wounded about him that inexplicably endeared him to her. He was a long way off from what she'd always pictured as her ideal man, but soccer-playing Andrews were a vague idea of perfection. Jeff had been an accident, a detour on the way to her second chance at a happily ever after with Troy. He was never supposed to be anything more than a too-short kiss in front of an auditorium full of strangers. How had it happened that Annie couldn't imagine wanting anyone else now, faults and all?

Lathering up her hair and body, Annie tried not to think about the fact that she was washing Jeff's saliva off parts of her. She didn't succeed. She was trying too hard at not getting too excited about any of it.

Ever since she'd been a little girl, Annie had always had a habit of setting herself up for disappointment in one way or another. She would always get too excited about things like birthday parties or visiting family only to be let down. There was every reason to believe that whatever she and Jeff were about to do, or had been doing since they'd met, was going to end less than perfectly. She would end up disappointed. But was that any real reason not to do it anyway? Would she have ignored her sixth birthday knowing it would end with spilled paint and tears?

No.

She was ready for whatever they were doing. Jeff wanted her, he'd said so. She didn't want to play any more games. And wherever they were going, they were going there together. It was a better offer than Annie had ever gotten before.

The tiled floor was cold underneath her wet feet when she climbed back out and the mirror was completely fogged over. Annie half-heartedly dried her hair with a towel before making her way back to the bedroom. Carefully cracking the door open just in case, she found her room empty again and relaxed before entering.

Venice.

Jeff Winger was taking her to _Venice_ for the day.

After getting ready, Annie slipped out of her bedroom and paused in the hallway. She hadn't set foot in Jeff's room in the time he'd been in Italy. Somehow, he'd ended up in her room plenty. Stealing herself, she stepped forward and knocked on the door. She got no response. Instead of turning and going down the stairs, Annie bit her lip and opened the door.

He was nowhere to be seen, but Annie could hear the shower running. He hadn't even closed the bathroom door. The idea that she could walk over there and see him without having to even try made her face heat up. He might not even mind. No, she could _not_ do that. He was making her think in ways she'd never considered before. Annie was not the type of girl who peeked at men while they were showering.

When they played pool naked in front of the entire student body, they were fair game though.

Annie bit her lip. She needed to leave the room right now before the shower shut off and wet naked Jeff was suddenly in front of her. When she'd finally talked herself into moving her feet again, Annie turned and her eyes landed on Jeff's dresser. His precious phone, his usual lifeline, lay there completely forgotten. It had made Annie preen slightly all week to not see him typing on it incessantly. Maybe his battery had died? She reached out and lifted it to check.

No, it was working fine. He'd just been ignoring it in favor of her.

Or at least doing a better job of pretending he was ignoring it in front of her.

When she dropped it back onto the dresser, Annie noticed a thick sheaf of paper lying next to it. She picked it up curiously. She knew Jeff was doing some consulting work for his old law firm, but would he really have brought something along to Italy with him? Her eyes scanned the top line of the first page and her mouth dropped open in shock.

_June 4, 2011-_

_For value received, the Jeff Winger (hereinafter known as the Payee) agrees to pay the amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) to Pierce Hawthorne (hereinafter known as the Holder) by the-_

The shower shut off in the next room and Annie left the room hastily, contract still grasped in her trembling hands. She had no idea what to think about what she was holding. It was none of her business, right? She should wait until he left the room and slip it back onto his dresser. He might not even notice it was missing. But why the hell did Jeff owe Pierce ten thousand dollars? That wasn't a loan for a glass of scotch or even a _bottle_ of scotch. Keeping her head down, Annie walked resolutely back into her room and closed the door.

She'd just read it once and then she'd put it back.

It couldn't be _that_ bad anyway.


	24. Chapter 24

He stopped towel-drying his hair for a moment and listened. His phone was ringing and vibrating from its spot on his dresser. Weighing his options, Jeff ignored the call and continued to dry his hair. Whoever it was could wait.

Unless it was Pierce.

Thinking better of it, he rushed out of his bedroom to grab the phone that was skittering around on the polished wood. It stilled and beeped when he reached it, signifying that he'd missed a call. "Crap," he grumbled before picking the phone up. Missed call from Britta. Jeff exhaled. He didn't really care about that as much. There was little to nothing he wanted or needed to hear from Britta right now anyway. She just wanted to call to berate him for either ignoring Annie too much or paying her too much attention. It could go either way with Britta most of the time.

Jeff shook himself out of his Britta-induced irritation and tried to point his brain back in a better direction, landing on the young brunette across the hall. When Annie had gone into the bathroom and left him, mostly naked and aroused on his bed, Jeff had tried to calm himself down. He'd thought about Leonard and he'd thought about Duncan. Hell, he'd even thought about the dean. In the end, it had been pretty useless and he'd walked back across the hall still picturing Annie's breasts and Annie's flat stomach and the color her cheeks had turned when he had finally let his finger sink into her.

The phone beeped, signifying a new voicemail, but instead of snatching the phone up and listening to the message, Jeff ambled back into the bathroom and continued to get ready for the day. He hadn't really been thinking that clearly when he'd suggested Venice to Annie, but was quickly warming to the idea. They would at least be hours away from Rich and Sergio. And Camilla. Jeff had wanted at some point that day to corner the crazy socialite and ask her what had really been the point of her 'push the guests in the pool' plan, but it looked like it might have to wait now.

With one last look in the mirror, Jeff grabbed his phone and left his bedroom. Annie's door was closed again, which usually meant she was in there. If she was still getting dressed, he could offer to help. It sounded creepy in his own head, but knowing Annie, she would find it charming. He raised his arm to knock on her door and paused. He should probably not be trying to pressure her on the whole sex thing right now. No, Annie was going to have to steer the physical aspect of…them for the time being. And what if she really wasn't even in there? Then he was just the guy who had been standing outside of an empty room for the better part of a minute when he could be downstairs bantering with her and trying to sneak a peek down her shirt. That kind of thing would be okay now, right?

Jeff moved down the stairs quickly. When he entered the kitchen in search of Annie, he literally ran into Rich. The shorter man instantly averted his eyes and blushed. "Hey," he greeted Jeff uncertainly. "Listen Jeff, I am really sorry about what just happened up there. I just sure do feel embarrassed about the whole thing."

Jeff felt a tiny bit better about realizing that he still hated Rich even after knowing that it had nothing to do with Annie. "Yeah," he agreed flatly as he stepped past the doctor and moved toward the coffee pot. "Things happen."

"Thanks for being so understanding, buddy." Jeff paused at the habitual term of endearment Rich threw at him and turned to face him. "I just hope this doesn't change your opinion of me is all."

"It definitely doesn't," Jeff answered honestly with a shake of his head before filling the coffee mug he had grabbed from the cupboard.

"So…" He turned to face Rich with a blank stare. "You and Annie?"

Was he really asking that?

Jeff's jaw tightened and his knuckles turned white against the hot porcelain in his grasp. "Something like that," he replied.

"How long?" Rich asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He had a light smile on his face, as if he was merely conversing with Jeff about the Steelers chances in the fall.

Jeff glowered at the doctor. "About half an hour," he said with a sarcastic glance at this watch. Rich's eyes widened in horror. He raised the coffee mug and took a sip. "Thanks for asking that." He dropped onto a stool and tried to concentrate on his coffee hard enough that Rich would get the hint and leave him alone.

"I didn't know it was your…I mean I didn't...know," Rich stuttered out and Jeff felt vindicated to have befuddled him in some small way.

"Yeah, well it probably doesn't need to be repeated." Jeff stated. The silence that followed was surprisingly tense and Jeff did feel a little bit badly about how passive aggressively he was referencing Sergio. Rich's eyes clouded for a moment before he cleared his throat and put his plastic grin back on.

"So, do you guys have plans today?"

How could someone who seemed to be so good around people do such a poor job at reading him all the time? Jeff could not understand it at all. "We were talking about going up to Venice for the day," he stated, thinking seriously about pulling his phone out of his pocket and starting up a game of Words With Friends. How rude would that be on a scale from one to Garrett?

"Venice," Rich enthused vapidly. "That sounds romantic."

Jeff paused, coffee cup lifted to his mouth. He hated the idea of agreeing with Rich in almost any way, but it did sound romantic. Not that it was necessarily meant to be. It just seemed ridiculous to have come to Italy and not gone to Venice for at least a day. He wasn't blind to the fact that taking Annie to Venice was a romantic gesture, but he wasn't doing it for that purpose. Okay, not _entirely _for that purpose at least. Maybe they could stay in Venice? Was that too forward to mention to her? Jeff would think after what they'd been about to do, what they had already _done_, that it wouldn't seem that forward.

Annie…naked in Venice.

"Thanks," Jeff finally muttered to Rich before taking a drink from his mug. The scalding liquid burned on the way down and he coughed into his hand. For just a fraction of a second, Jeff let a flicker of a memory hit him and his thoughts settled on where said hand had been not that long ago. He now knew what she looked like when she threw her head back in passion, had felt her fingernails dig into his flesh. He could remember clearly exactly what her naked thigh had felt like pressed against his ribcage. The whole experience had been unexpected and sexy as hell. _She_ was sexy as hell. He felt slightly old and dirty now in the aftermath, but when they'd actually been together it had felt almost too right. No awkwardness or fumbling. None of Annie's supposed naivety showing itself in the face of a sexual interaction with him.

"Good morning," Camilla announced in a mushy tone as she burst forward from the open patio door still in her cocktail dress from the previous evening.

"Ugh," Jeff groaned at the sight of her. "What do _you _want?"

"You're up early," she stated as she ambled toward him with a smirk. "Must not have had a very eventful night."

"You got me," Jeff shot back flatly. "Now, why are you here?"

Camilla blinked in confusion for a moment, as if waiting for the question to make sense in her liquor-addled brain. "The party is just winding down," she muttered with a gesture toward her own house. "So I thought I would come over and see how you fared, Jeff."

Jeff frowned. "Wait, the party is just getting over with? Everyone just went next door when I kicked them out?"

"They wanted a party," she replied with a shrug. "And I was able to give them what you weren't."

"You're insane," Jeff said. "What was the point of even having it here at all?" He watched her, waiting for a response. Camilla came closer and leaned against the counter opposite of him and Jeff leaned back as the stench of liquor wafted toward him. "Not that I'm not enjoying that Eau de Beefeater you've got going on there, but could you back up a little bit?"

She ignored him. "Where's Annie?"

"Upstairs," Jeff guessed with certainty. He was surprised she wasn't downstairs yet. She'd gotten in the shower long before he'd been able to. He would give her five more minutes before he went to look for her.

"Camilla," Rich spoke up in a more stiff voice than Jeff had ever heard the blonde man use with the neighbor. He turned in surprise to look at the other man, who was even looking stiff now. "Would you like some coffee this morning?"

The lush in question gave a shake of her head. "No. I'm still enjoying my buzz, Richard. But thank you." With that, Camilla stumbled over to the doctor with a smile. "And how was your evening?" she asked suggestively and Jeff rolled his eyes.

"It was fine," he answered with a short nod.

"Yeah?" Camilla asked. "How did you…make out?" she questioned.

Rich's gaze hardened for a moment and then for some reason Jeff couldn't explain, he was out of his chair and intervening. "So Camilla, how many paid staff did you end up sexually harassing in the last twelve hours?"

She shrugged. "Five or six." Rich saw his chance to escape and took it, turning and leaving the kitchen quickly with barely a glance from the woman in front of Jeff. "So, you aren't even a little curious as to where your ingenue is right now, Jeff?"

"No," he replied. "But you clearly are. Are you ready to tell me why that might be yet?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

Camilla hummed and stepped into his personal space before craning her neck to look up at him. Her eyes flicked to the left quickly before landing on him. She smiled evilly. "I don't think so, but I'm kind of disappointed that you haven't figured it out on your own yet." With that, she pressed herself upward and then her alcohol-soaked lips were against his and her arms were wrapping around her neck. She was surprisingly strong and he allowed himself to be yanked toward her.

No.

No, no, no!

Jeff reached behind his head to disengage her arms and push himself away from her. "Seriously?" he asked incredulously. He grimaced at the sour taste of liquor that was now in his mouth and wiped the back of his hand against his lips. "What did that accomplish?"

Her eyes glinted with something disturbingly happy and didn't leave his when she answered. "Morning, Annie."

Of course.

Jeff turned his entire body toward the doorway to the kitchen, where Annie stood with Rich half a step behind her. She wouldn't meet Jeff's gaze and he fought the urge to move toward her the way he wanted to. Camilla didn't resist though and a moment later was sauntering toward the brunette. Jeff had to squeeze his hands into fists to keep from wrapping his hands around her neck and pulling her backwards and out of the house.

"Hi Camilla," Annie greeted her with a tight smile she didn't mean a single ounce of.

The older woman glanced down Annie's body critically and it wasn't until then that Jeff had even noticed. She was back to original recipe Annie, complete with short denim skirt and yellow cardigan. Her arms were wrapped across in her chest in a way that could only be described as protective. "How was your evening?" Camilla asked Annie and reached up to touch the ends of her hair.

Annie physically reacted to Camilla, tipping her head back a little bit before answering. "It was great. Thanks for throwing the party."

"It was nothing," Camilla waved her off with a wide grin and turned to sweep away. "I have things I need to attend to, but I will see you all later." She smirked up at Jeff as she walked past him. "Jeff."

"Satan," he shot back flatly with a nod of his head and watched her leave the way she'd come in silence before facing Annie again. "That was not…" He stepped forward and waved his arms.

Annie nodded and gave him a tight smile. "Okay."

"Really?" Jeff asked with raised eyebrows. "You're not mad?"

"No," she replied as Rich stepped around them to the coffee maker and another moment later, Annie followed him. Jeff stared at her retreating figure in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. Was she waiting until she was alone to unload on him? There was no way in hell Annie Edison could walk in on him kissing another woman the same day he'd almost slept with her and _not_ go 'Shirley' on him.

"So," Jeff tried again as he wandered behind them to the patio, his eyes not leaving her form. "I was thinking-" He broke off when his phone vibrated from his pocket. Britta again. He ignored it and put the phone back in his jeans. "I was thinking about maybe instead of just going to Venice for the day that we could stay there?" Jeff watched her for a reaction and felt a slight edge of dread when she only nodded in response. "Stay overnight?" he tried again and then Annie's eyes finally met his and he sucked in a breath at her expression.

It wasn't the one of unbridled joy he had quite frankly expected to get from her at the idea of sweeping her away to Venice for the night. She gave a short nod and then bit her lip. "Hey, Jeff…" Annie cleared her throat. "How are you going to pay for that?"

Jeff felt something tighten sickeningly in his gut but gave her a confused smile. "What?" Annie stared up at him with her big guilt-inducing eyes and his chest gave a twinge. Staving her off when she was like this was a Herculean task. She pulled something from behind her back with a flourish and when Jeff's eyes settled on what she held, he let out an involuntary groan. "Shit."

"What…is this?" she asked lightly as she lifted the contract up to show him.

Jeff raised his eyebrows. "You a cat burglar now?" he asked, avoiding the question entirely.

"I went into your room," Annie defended with a shake of her head. "And I saw it on the dresser."

"Why were you in my room?" Jeff questioned and tried not to smirk at the way the blush so effectively covered her cheeks. She glanced down at her feet awkwardly. He took a deep breath. "I was…working toward telling you about it."

"Really?" she asked, clearly not believing him.

"Yes," he replied as sincerely as he could, holding her eye contact firmly. "I swear."

She nodded in a way that told Jeff she was trying to convince herself of something, probably that he was still somehow a good guy. "Why…I just don't get why you would do it, though. Why did you need that kind of money?"

She was kidding, right? Jeff closed his eyes for a beat, trying to force down the first instincts of annoyance with her that jumped into his consciousness. "Annie," he started slowly. "Do you have any idea how much a last minute flight to Italy costs?" The question surprised her much more than it should have, given their circumstances.

"You said Pierce _gave _you a ticket," she stated after a beat to think.

"No," Jeff countered. "I said Pierce was responsible for me being here."

"So you lied," Annie nodded, her voice taking on more edge by the second.

"I didn't lie," he argued. "I was purposely vague and you jumped to a conclusion."

"You're such a…" She broke off, trying to think of something to call him.

"Good lawyer?" Jeff suggested, but his smile faltered when he took in her expression of anger. "Look, I was going to tell you when I got here. But then you made with the face slapping and I got the _crazy_ idea that you might not want to hear it."

Annie crossed her arms over her chest and regarded him expectantly. "Well, here's your chance then."

Jeff set his jaw irritably and breathed in through his nose. She was technically right. She did deserve some kind of explanation for everything that had gone down with Pierce before he showed up. Maybe he could manage to redirect her oncoming adolescent attitude if he did this right. "I went to Pierce's house and kissed his ass and asked if I could get a ticket to Italy out of him." He ignored her sound of disappointment at the honesty he was throwing in her direction. "He wouldn't give me a ticket, but he told me…" Jeff sighed and lifted one hand to run through his hair. "He told me that he would give me a loan so I could _buy_ a ticket." Crossing his arms over his chest, Jeff stepped closer to her. "The only catch was that I would have to sign a contract stating I had no motive for coming other than friendship."

Annie bristled at that. "You said you came because of me," she reminded him with wide eyes searching his.

"I did," he agreed with a nod. He paused then. He hadn't wanted to do this the way he was being forced to. "But I didn't…come here with an ulterior motive, Annie."

The obvious shock and hurt in her eyes when she took in his meaning made Jeff's want to throw up. "So when you said you came here because of me, you didn't mean…." She frowned deeply, her eyes sad. "What did you mean then?"

If he tried to move closer and touch her in any way, Annie might try to hit him again. She did tend toward the overly dramatic. It was his chance to tell her everything, explain the deep-seeded fear that had been gnawing away at him from the inside out since she'd grabbed his face and kissed him over a year ago. "I…don't know," Jeff answered stiltedly and trained his eyes on Annie to wait for her reaction. She blinked slowly and then bit her lip.

She knew he was lying.

Shit.

"So," she said, her voice surprisingly strong again. "According to this," Annie held up the contract, "the money would be considered a gift with no…" She flipped through the pages to find the passage she was looking for. "With no expectations of reimbursement from the _payee_ to the holder if there is no evidence of romantic agreements reached." Jeff nodded his head along with the phrase with a roll of his eyes. Of course Pierce had tried to sound proper while making Jeff sign a contract stating that he wouldn't have sex with Annie. It was immensely Pierce-like. "So, if you don't pursue me…you don't have to pay him back, right?"

"Essentially," Jeff answered with a dull nod. Something told him that their chances of getting to Venice that day were looking slimmer and slimmer by the second.

"But…you _have_ been pursuing me," she stated before frowning. "Unless I've really been reading everything wrong?"

He sighed. Could she really not figure out what the problem was here? "You haven't," he assured her tiredly.

She watched him in silence for longer than he felt comfortable with. "So, was this all about Pierce?" Annie asked.

Jeff narrowed his eyes. "What?" he squawked in surprise. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means," she huffed, "that I want to know if you have been trying to sleep with me just to stick it to Pierce." Jeff threw his head back in frustration. "You know, seduce me under his roof after he specifically told you not to?" He shook his head incredulously. How the hell had she jumped to _that _conclusion? He was pretty sure that all women were not this crazy. "That seems like classic Jeff Winger attitude."

"Annie, I'm a dick. But I'm not _that _big of a dick. Do you really think I would lie to you like that?" Jeff questioned her and watched her visibly waver.

Annie crossed her arms over her chest. "Remind me how you ended up at Greendale, Jeff." He wanted to throttle her. It was like she was completely disregarding everything that had happened between them in the last few days in favor of some piece of paper Pierce had made him sign when he was in a moment of mental breakdown. "So, "she continued in a light conversational tone the belied the anger still in her eyes, "what was your plan going to be next then?" Annie cocked her head to the side to appraise him. "Sleep with me and then pretend none of it happened?"

"No," he argued and then broke off. Jeff tried again a moment later. "Believe me, I've been trying to figure out a way to have it both ways." Annie rolled her eyes and Jeff pressed on, ignoring her obvious distaste at everything related to him now. "I've been looking for a loophole since I signed the damn thing."

"He has good lawyers," she noted with a nod.

The fact that she had read the contract and could tell how well-written it was caused a surge of arousal to coast over him. It settled in his fingertips and Jeff clenched his hands into fists at his sides. "He's a hateful man, Annie."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe he just cares about me and didn't want to see you take advantage of me?" she asked, hands dropping to her hips defiantly.

"Pierce? Doesn't care about anyone but himself," Jeff declared, feeling his patience stretching. How was she defending the man who had put a price on her head?

"Yes he does," Annie argued. "You just hate him so much that you can't see that."

Jeff groaned. "He put it in that contract because he wanted to see me suffer, Annie. He knew I was at his mercy and he took advantage of my…" He trailed off with an frustrated shake of his head. "He _knew_ I would have to come and wanted to make me miserable in the process."

She stilled. "I…never said you had to come. In fact, I think I told you that we would still be friends no matter what, Jeff."

"Yeah?" he challenged. "Did _you_ even believe that when you said it?"

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing," Jeff gave an exaggerated shake of his head, pursing his lips tightly. "You accuse _me_ of using Pierce as an excuse to manipulate you into the sack, when really you are the one who has been manipulating me from the word 'go'." He raised his eyebrows at her significantly and Annie shrank away slightly. He got a sick feeling of power from seeing her hesitate and stepped toward her carefully.

"No, I haven't." Jeff watched as her lower lip began to tremble and he felt his patience finally snap like a twig. It was as if she wasn't even aware she was doing it to him.

"Don't," he snapped. "You're not going to pull out the tears and the sad face and automatically make me the bad guy again, Annie."

"I'm not _trying_ to make you the bad guy," she argued with a stomp of her foot that caused Jeff to roll his eyes.

"You wanted me to be the bad guy from the beginning, kitten." At that, her eyes clouded over. "You had a plan from the start and if what I was doing didn't fit into that plan, I wasn't _trying_ hard enough. Right?"

"That's not fair," she said in a small voice and he shook his head.

"No," he said. "You know what's not fair? Asking someone to go away with you on a day's notice to another fucking country, Annie. In wha-" Jeff broke off with a frustrated groan and pulled his vibrating phone out of his pocket and threw it into the pool. He watched it hit the water with a tiny splash and sink before addressing her again. "In what universe is that not completely manipulative?"

"I wasn't trying to manipulate you, Jeff."

"You weren't trying to manipulate me?" he questioned, his voice cracking. "Inviting me to Italy for a month wasn't a manipulation? Annie, couples who have been dating for _six months _don't go away to Italy together." She pulled her lower lip into her mouth to chew on it and Jeff clenched his jaw. "You knew I couldn't say yes and you got to be the injured party _again_, and I was the jerk who hurt poor little Annie."

"You _are _a jerk," she stated.

"That's probably true," Jeff agreed. "But it doesn't make me less right." Annie averted her eyes completely now, instead choosing to focus on the large flat stones on the ground between them. "You know as well as I do that this…this thing," he gestured between them as he stepped closer to her. "..is too complicated to work and you decided to push anyway." He crossed his arms back over his chest. "At least when Britta plays relationship chicken with me, she isn't so childish about it. She also doesn't pout afterward when things don't turn out it her favor."

She was silent for a long stretch of time and Jeff felt himself trying to keep a stranglehold on his righteous indignation. She deserved this. He meant it and she needed to hear it. If she ended up in tears, so be it, but they were going to get through this. "So, what was this morning?" Annie asked with wide sad eyes.

"_You_ climbed on top of _me_, kid."

He might have actually stabbed her for the reaction she had to his words. "Shit," he muttered, feeling his heart thump painfully in his chest. Jeff watched as her face changed to one of absolute horror and his stomach clenched painfully. She clutched at her own stomach and bent slightly. He hadn't meant that. Why _was_ he such a dick all the time? Why couldn't he just be honest with her one time? It was all she wanted from him. "Annie, I didn't mean…"

But she wasn't listening to him. He watched as Annie pulled her cell phone from her cardigan pocket and, after checking the read-out, answered it softly. "Hi," she murmured, turning her back completely on Jeff. "Yeah, no….no, he's…he's right here." She shot an awkward halfway glance over her shoulder and him and Jeff frowned. "No…he doesn't have his phone right now," Annie continued slowly. "Okay, well what…what?" The alarm in her voice set Jeff on edge and he stepped into her space, not daring to touch her. "No, I didn't have any…okay." Jeff breathed in Annie's pause. "No, yeah, we'll…okay. Yeah, absolutely." She paused again. "Okay. Yeah, I will. Bye."

Annie ended the call and turned to Jeff, all the color drained from her face.

"We have to go home. It's Pierce."


	25. Chapter 25

"Fine."

Annie looked up tiredly to see Jeff stomping away from the ticket counter they had situated themselves closest to. He seemed distracted as he forced his giant form into a molded plastic seat two spaces away from her. Without acknowledging him, Annie bent her head and went back to her crossword puzzle. They had been at the Pittsburgh airport for several hours now, waiting to get onto a connecting flight back to Greendale.

"She can't find any tickets," he grumbled in Annie's direction. She nodded in response. He sighed. "Annie." Biting her lip, she frowned down at her puzzle in concentration. "_Annie_," he tried again. "So…this ignoring me thing going to go on indefinitely?"

Don't look at him.

Since the moment Annie had finished reading the contract, curled up on the bed she and Jeff had almost had sex on, she had not been able to look at Jeff without a certain level of distrust. And anger. And, sadly, most of all regret. Was it really possible that within the last forty-eight hours, she'd been naked underneath him and loving every second of it? More importantly, _he'd_ been loving every second of it. How could he not have told her the whole truth from the very beginning? And when she'd dared question him about it, he'd gotten defensive and actually yelled at her.

And the worst part, the most heartbreaking part of the entire thing was that he hadn't actually denied _any_ of the accusations she'd unfairly thrown at him. The dull ache in her chest had been constant for the last day straight as a result.

"Well, can I borrow your phone?"

"I'll tell you if someone calls, Jeff." Annie answered as lightly as she could manage.

"You didn't when Troy called earlier," Jeff pointed out, turning his body toward her.

She pressed her pen against the paperback book balanced on her knee as hard she could. "You were in the bathroom, Jeff. Should I have interrupted you in the bathroom?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," he shot back in a quiet tone.

"Maybe," Annie stated with a sarcastic smile, "if you hadn't thrown your phone in a pool, you could talk to people."

"Fine," he growled and stood quickly to stride away. Annie watched him go in silence, praying to herself that he wasn't going off in search of another ticket agent to berate. She knew he was stressed and at least part of it was her fault, but she couldn't bring herself to talk to him just yet. And in light of what had happened in Colorado while they'd been in Italy, it seemed selfish to even think about it.

Stage three prostate cancer. How was that even possible? For how much of the last year had Pierce known he might have cancer and never once mentioned it to any of them? After her short vague conversation with Britta, Annie had been forced to turn to Jeff and explain why they had to catch a flight back to Colorado as soon as possible. When she'd first told him, Jeff's response had been to roll his eyes and claim that Pierce was faking. It was only when she'd left him and hurried up the stairs to pack that he had started to take her even slightly seriously. He had planted himself in her doorway and watched her quietly pack for a full minute before he'd even spoken again.

"You're going back now?" he'd asked, clearly surprised.

Annie had turned her eyes on him in shock. "Yes, of course I'm going right now. Pierce is having _cancer _surgery, Jeff. Britta called because she thinks we should come home."

"By the time we get there, the surgery will already be done."

Feeling her spine stiffen, she'd met his gaze determinedly. "You can stay here, but I am going." With that, Annie had gone back to packing and managed to ignore his large frame still slouching in the doorway. Another minute of silence and he had wandered toward his own room with a deep sigh to pack himself.

"Flight one fifty-three to Honolulu is now boarding at gate twelve," a brittle woman announced over the loud speaker and Annie glanced up at the couple across from her. Beth and Ted were on their honeymoon, Annie had learned from the brief conversation she'd had with them when they'd sat down opposite she and Jeff almost an hour ago.

"That's us," Ted noted with a soft grin and reached over to grasp his new wife's hand. "Ready?" She gave him a small secretive nod and they rose in tandem from their chairs.

"Well Annie," Beth said as she stepped toward the brunette. "I really hope everything works out for you and…" The other woman's forehead wrinkled.

"Jeff," Annie supplied with a tight smile. Beth gave a small unsure nod. "And he's not usually so…" She trailed off with a glance toward him. He was most definitely berating another ticket agent. Possibly about her big calves or her even bigger hair. "…intense?"

"He's just worried," Ted spoke up as he approached the two women with a suitcase. "I'm sure he's concerned about your friend." Annie didn't have the heart to tell them that it likely had more to do with the fact that he didn't want to spend another moment with her than he had to. That didn't seem a pleasant thing to say to the newlyweds.

_Honest, _but not pleasant.

"Thanks," Annie murmured to them with a smile. "It was great getting to know you."

"You too," Ted and Beth agreed in unison and then chuckled to each other. Annie felt a pain in her chest, but it only lasted a moment and then was gone.

Swallowing down her own drama, Annie reached out to shake Beth's hand and was instead pulled into a hug. "Have a great time."

"He'll come around," Beth whispered into her ear and Annie stiffened against the stranger. When she pulled out of the hug, she gave a small discreet nod to Beth and then she and her new husband were strolling away hand in hand.

So even strangers understood.

Thatwasn't embarrassing at all.

Annie dropped back into her seat and tried to focus on the crossword puzzle she had in front of her. In the Roman airport, when faced with the idea of spending a ten plus hour flight with Jeff, she had bought the crossword puzzle book, a paperback novel, and a book of Italian trivia. She just wasn't ready to talk to him yet. No, that wasn't it. She _wanted _to talk to him, she wanted to pin him down and question every moment they'd had since he'd shown up, ask him at exactly what point he'd decided that her feelings were secondary to anything else that might have been happening between he and Pierce.

The part that still made her stomach churn a full day later was the moment he'd implied that he was only going to have sex with her because she'd _been_ there. If someone else had crawled on top of him, if it had been Camilla, would Jeff have had sex with _her_? It completely changed her perception of him. How could it not? She still didn't want to believe that what it meant for them was that he'd never had any real intentions of being with her. Even though he'd been able to fly across the ocean to stop her from the possibility of happiness with someone else, it still didn't mean he was ready to admit that it was for his own selfish purposes that _did _relate to her. Instead, he'd said he didn't really know what had made him get on the plane in the first place. And even if she didn't believe that, in the end it didn't matter. Not if that was what he thought.

Which meant they were right back where they'd started.

Her phone rang in from the pocket of her jeans and she pulled it out to glance at the screen before answering it. "Hi Abed."

"Hey Annie," he greeted her. "Shirley asked if I would call and get the status report."

"We're in…" Annie scrunched up her face in thought, unable to remember for a moment. "Philadelphia?"

"Pittsburgh," Jeff corrected as he turned to address her from the ticket counter. "Who is that?"

She frowned at him. "Abed," she stated before turning away from him as much as she could in her chair.

"Let me talk to him," Jeff said, striding toward her with outstretched hands to take the phone from her. When she didn't immediately drop the phone into his waiting palm, he rolled his eyes. "Can I _please _talk to him?" he tried again.

"No," Annie replied. "He called me."

"Well," Abed spoke up from his end of the conversation, "Jeff isn't answering his phone."

"You're the one who threw your phone in Pierce's pool," Annie reminded Jeff before raising her eyebrows meaningfully. Jeff glowered at her before turning and walking away from her. When he passed the ticket agent, Annie watched the older woman sigh in relief before shooting Jeff a dirty look.

"He did?" Abed asked sharply. "So he's on edge then." Annie furrowed her brow. "Did you guys have a fight?"

She sighed. "Yes."

"I thought so," the filmmaker stated. "I meant to ask this earlier and forgot. Did you get any footage of the Milvian Bridge?"

Annie froze, waiting for her sudden bout of nausea to settle. The way he'd looked at her that night… It was a far cry from the perturbed expression he was currently giving her. At the time, that had seemed so overly dramatic in her stupid college-girl brain and now things were five times more complicated between she and Jeff. And it was unlikely that it would ever be resolved in the way she wanted it to be. What were her other options? She didn't have any. He was the one who'd basically told her that the idea of a relationship was still not worth paying back a loan he'd gotten. There was no way to make that seem positive.

"I…didn't, no." She heard Abed sigh.

"That will be okay," he stated. "I might have to rework the plot a little bit then."

"What _is_ the plot of this movie, Abed?" Annie asked, feeling a headache forming above her ears.

"Not important," was the answer she got and she sighed.

"How is Pierce?" she inquired a moment later and frowned over at Jeff when his jiggling leg caused their entire section of chairs to vibrate. "When's the surgery?"

"In a couple hours," Abed answered. "He asked for you. So, has Jeff officially gone to his crazy-pants place yet?" Abed asked in a curious tone.

"Yeah, kind of." She looked back in the direction he'd taken off but couldn't see him. "He threw his phone into the _pool_."

'Yeah, that doesn't surprise me," Abed noted in a distracted tone. "He tends to act out when he's overly anxious about something." He paused. "Is it you?"

"Is what me?"

"Are you the reason he's overly anxious, Annie?" She sucked in a deep breath and shook her head silently. She could feel Jeff's gaze on her back, but didn't dare turn around. "Are you why he threw his phone in the pool?" Annie stilled and felt her heartbeat pick up. She had never understood his innate ability to read any of them, including her. He was even able to tell what was going on in her head from across the country.

Maybe he was a warlock?

"Abed," she started in a hushed tone. "Why do you think he came?"

"Why do _you_ think he came?" he parroted back.

"Abed," Annie snapped as loudly as she dared and looked back at Jeff. He was watching her agitatedly, his leg shaking again. "Stop it."

"Why did you want him to have come?" he tried again. She bit her lip and stared out the window she was standing next to. The answer to that question was much easier for her to answer. She wanted him to have come to Italy because he loved her and couldn't bear to be away from her. But that wasn't even on the top ten list of likely reasons that Jeff had shown up on Pierce's doorstep. "Annie, I can tell you that you called me and I mentioned that Rich was with you and then Jeff broke his toe and got on a plane," he offered after a moment in his normal robotic voice.

Before her mind could sprint forward like she wanted to, her phone beeped at her ear. She pulled it away and frowned. "Abed, it's Rich on the other line. I'll call back as soon as we get a flight out."

"Can you take some footage of the airport before you leave?" he asked, causing Annie to shake her head confusedly.

"Uh, yeah." She paused. "Abed, wha-"

But he'd ended the call already and the line switched over to Rich's call. "Annie?" he asked unsurely.

"Rich," she answered with a sigh. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," he replied in a distant distracted tone. "Have you heard anything on Pierce?"

Annie turned around to find Jeff's seat empty. "He is going in soon."

"I called the hospital and his surgeon is the best on staff. A really great guy," Rich intoned in a positive voice.

"Good," she nodded to herself. Pierce had a great surgeon and he would be just fine by the time they got home and she could thank him for doing so much for her in the last couple weeks. And ask him herself what exactly had compelled him to draw up a contract and make Jeff sign it. "That's good," Annie repeated.

"Where are you guys?" Rich asked.

Annie frowned. "Philadelphia."

"_Pittsburgh_," Jeff stressed suddenly from right behind her. Annie gasped in surprise and whipped around to face him. He frowned and stretched his arm out in her direction and she glanced down at it to see a paper-wrapped sandwich in his hand. When she reached out to take it from him, their fingers brushed ever so slightly and Annie felt a tingle at the base of her spine.

"Thanks," she whispered, not trusting herself to answer more loudly. She held his gaze for a second too long and watched him blink into awareness and then Jeff shifted ever so slightly toward her, his head bent forward.

"Annie," he murmured softly and her stomach clenched.

"Annie?" Rich echoed from the phone at her ear.

"Yeah," she answered without taking her eyes off the man in front of her.

"Is that Jeff?"

Annie swallowed over the sudden lump in her throat. "Yeah," she repeated. Jeff's eyes glinted with something she couldn't place and then he was walking away from her again. She swallowed over the sudden lump in her throat as her eyes followed him. He'd been about to say something, and Annie hated how desperate she was to know what it might have been.

"…and I should have everything cleared up here within in the next day or so." The brunette shook herself out of her daze to focus on the conversation she was still in the middle of.

Frowning, Annie cleared her throat to speak again in what came out as a shaky voice. "And then you're coming home? Why don't you stay and spend some time with Sergio?" He fell silent on the other end of the phone. "Rich?"

"Yeah," he answered after another moment of silence. "I don't think Sergio and I are going to work."

"What?" Annie asked in surprise. Rich had seemed so happy only a day or two ago. "What happened?"

The doctor sighed. "He's been lying to me, Annie. He was lying to both of us." Annie frowned to herself. "That's why I came to your room yesterday morning."

"That was yesterday morning?" she asked as she stared blankly down at the sandwich in her hands.

"Yeah," Rich replied. "Annie, I need to tell you something. It's kind of important. Sergio was talking to me about Camilla, and he said that she is-"

"-no no. Thank _you_," Jeff snapped from across the terminal from her. He turned away from the ticket counter attendant he'd been talking to and began to stomp toward her. Annie's eyes stayed on him as he approached her quickly.

"Rich? I gotta go," Annie muttered into the phone, causing Rich to stop speaking abruptly. "I'll call you as soon as I know something, okay?

"I- yeah, okay." Rich paused. "I hope everything works out for you, Annie." She furrowed her brow in confusion. What a strange thing to say to her.

"Bye," she murmured and ended the call with wide eyes turned up toward Jeff. "What's up?"

"We aren't going to be able to get out of here for a least a couple more hours," he groused with a sour look back in the direction of the beehived ticket agent. "We got bumped off the next flight. We are on standby for a flight in about five hours." Annie frowned up at him, not understanding what he was saying. "So…our options are that we can stay here for the night or…we can…" Jeff sighed and brought a hand up to rub his forehead. "We can go to a hotel and get some sleep and come back later." Annie sucked in breath loudly, surprising herself with the reaction to his words. Her eyes stayed on him even as he made a concerted effort to look anywhere _but _at her.

"Oh," Annie finally said softly with a nod.

"Yeah," Jeff answered. "So, what do you want?"

She wanted him to give her an honest answer about what they were or where they were. She wanted Jeff to tell her in clear precise terms exactly why he had come to Italy in the first place and she wanted to be able to ask him if he'd really meant it when he'd told her he wanted her. Annie had promised herself that she would be happy with whatever he could give her, but she knew now that she'd been just trying to convince herself of something that wasn't _her_. The idea of spending the night in a hotel room with Jeff was both thrilling and terrifying. Annie knew herself well enough to know that she would never be able to sleep or breathe in that close of quarters. She wouldn't be able to keep herself from speaking, from asking him every single question that had been in her head since he had cornered her in a dingy shower stall after paintball only three weeks ago.

"I think…" Annie inhaled deeply and stared down at the sandwich she was still gripping. "I think we should probably just stay here." Jeff's eyes hardened. "In case a flight opens up," she continued.

"Yeah," Jeff said gruffly. His eyes stayed on her for a moment too long before he turned around and started to leave her again. But instead of stomping away, he was spinning back to face her. "I'm-" he cut himself off before quickly. "I shouldn't have said…that."

"Said what?" Annie asked, feigning ignorance that neither of them believed for a second.

"Annie," Jeff intoned with a roll of his eyes before letting his eyes soften and she felt that tell-tale sensation in her chest again.

No.

Next he would smile and charm her and she would forget why she was mad at him in the first place. Annie knew exactly how this worked now, and she couldn't get sucked in again.

She _couldn't_.

Biting her lip, she stared down at the floor between them before gathering up a small amount of courage. "Thanks for the sandwich," she said quietly. Jeff cleared his throat.

"Yeah, anytime."


	26. Chapter 26

Jeff kept his eyes on her silently as they both moved forward through the Greendale terminal. She had a bit of a lurch to her, giving off the impression that she was more zombie than human girl. A woman who was taller than him brushed against Annie and the young woman stumbled slightly to the right. Jeff was quick to step toward her and stop her from toppling over with her pile of expensive luggage. His hand slid across her shoulder blades before settling on her opposite arm and then she was looking up at him with her giant blue eyes. He swallowed down the urge to bend toward her and kiss her.

That privilege had been taken away from him by the very girl who was staring at him. "Thanks," Annie muttered as she straightened herself back out, shrugging him off effectively. Jeff's jaw tightened. He wanted to tug her into a deserted hallway and finish whatever fight they were in the middle of, but knew she wasn't in control of her faculties and it would all end in tears. She continued to walk toward the exit to the terminal, very clearly in her own head, or at least the small fraction of her that was conscious.

The Colorado night air was surprisingly cool and comforting. Jeff had thought he wouldn't be able to miss Greendale, and if asked he would say he hadn't. However, there was something about the familiarity of this town that made him feel like he was home. It was just another in a handful of things that he surprised himself with thinking or feeling on a daily basis since starting school two years ago. Annie moved more quickly ahead of him, picking up the pace on the way…past his car. Jeff stopped dead in the parking lot.

"Where are you going?" he called to her and she turned around in surprise.

"To my car," Annie answered slowly as if she was explaining to someone who didn't speak her language.

Jeff rolled his eyes. "You're not driving home, Annie."

"I know that, _Jeff_." He inhaled through his nose and started to slowly walk toward her. "I'm going to the hospital. Troy texted that they're all still there. Pierce should be coming out of recovery any minute and I want to be there." With that, she spun on her unsteady feet and continued toward her car. Jeff caught up to her easily, pulling one of her bags out of her hands and holding it up and away from her. "Jeff," Annie whined.

"You're not driving," he reiterated. "You've had like fifteen minutes of sleep in the last two days. Going by ambulance is not the preferred method of getting to the hospital." She frowned at him and reached for her bag. He yanked it out of her reach again. "I'll drive, come on."

She tipped her head back in surprise, clearly shocked that he had any intention of going to see Pierce in the hospital. "You're going?"

"Of course I'm going," Jeff replied with a glare. "I've been trying to get a hold of Pierce for the last week and a half." He watched as the wrinkle formed above Annie's nose. "If he's stuck in a bed, he can't run away from me."

"I don't think you're going to be able to get away with beating him up this time," Annie mentioned as she turned and made her way toward Jeff's car. He actually sighed in relief. He thought for sure he'd have to work on her more than that.

She must really be tired.

She had warmed ever so slightly toward him in the past nine hours, so at least now it wasn't like they were strangers traveling together. Now it was more like they were a couple who had just broken up. Which technically was possibly true. He understood why she was mad at him, why she'd shut down, and while he wanted to actually have it out with her, the current situation they'd been dropped into the middle of made it kind of difficult. Jeff had a feeling that Annie might not find it that appropriate to blow off Pierce in the hospital in favor of continuing a fight they'd started countless hours and countries ago.

"You're going to bring me back here after we leave the hospital?" she asked with a glance back over her shoulder.

"Sure," Jeff lied. They reached his car at the same time and he popped the trunk to stow most of her luggage. He pulled a small padded manila envelope from his carry-on and slid it into his back pocket before turning his attention back to the brunette with him. He watched Annie wander toward the passenger door as he shut the trunk and placed her carry-on in the backseat carefully before unlocking the car and sliding into the driver's seat. When his eyes slipped over to her, Jeff found her head laid back against the headrest, her own eyes closed already. "If you don't buckle up, the seatbelt alarm goes off," he said and watched her blink at him in confusion. He leaned over into her personal space to grab the seatbelt from her other side. Annie sucked in a deep breath when his arm brushed against her breasts and they both stilled. "Sorry," he muttered before tugging the seatbelt toward him. Her fingers grasped the belt and locked the buckle into place herself.

When he was sure she was secure, he pulled out of the parking lot and made his way toward the hospital, glancing at her every few seconds. She was really asleep now, her head lolling toward his left shoulder. The surprising surge of absolute affection that hit him caused Jeff to almost run a red light. He slammed on the brakes, which made Annie jerk forward and cry out in surprise. "Sorry," he muttered to her after a moment. "Red light." She cleared her throat and resituated herself in the seat next to him and then let out a big yawn. Jeff chuckled softly to himself. "I don't think anyone would judge you for going home and getting some sleep first, Annie."

She shook her head. "Hospital," she answered.

"Annie," Jeff sighed."

"I slept on the plane," she argued with a frown in his direction.

He raised an eyebrow at her challengingly. "Really?" he asked. "Those fifteen minutes you when we didn't have a screaming two year-old behind us were refreshing, were they?"

Jeff had spent a total of twelve hours over the course of almost two days next to her on planes, watching as she tried her hardest to ignore him completely. Somewhere over the Atlantic, Annie had started dozing lightly. Her head had ended up on his shoulder and Jeff had spent the next two hours trying not to move a muscle and wake her up. When Jeff had made sure that she was surely dead to the world, he'd allowed himself to leisurely, taking in every feature with scrutiny. At the time, he had felt an itchy sensation in his chest and had brushed it aside, as Jeff did with all feelings he couldn't immediately identify. But since then, he had felt a steadily increasing feeling of disconcertion over it, as if he was rolling down a hill and didn't know which end was up anymore.

'I don't want to fight, Jeff."

"We're not fighting," he argued. "I'm just saying that Shirley would understand if we went home and slept for a few hours before showing up at the hospital." He wrinkled his nose. "Do you even remember the last time you showered?"

Annie flinched and Jeff felt a stab of guilt in his chest. Of course she remembered the last time she took a shower. It was right after she'd almost had sex with him. Did he really need to bring that up now? "I think Shirley would understand if I don't smell like a meadow as long as I'm there."

Jeff clamped down on the retort he had for that and they drove the rest of the way to the hospital in awkward silence. Once he'd worked his Lexus into a parking spot, he shut off the engine and physically turned toward her. "Um, I know that everyone is going to ask what happened with us and I-"

"It's not anybody's business what happened," Annie cut in with a shake of her head. Jeff clenched his jaw for a moment, willing her to look at him just once. She refused. "We're here for Pierce," she continued and Jeff sighed in frustration.

When Annie had turned around and stared at him blankly, muttering that Pierce had been admitted to the hospital for surgery to reverse prostate cancer, Jeff's gut had told him instantly that he was faking it. It wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility that Pierce would lie to get them back into the country. But the more phone calls that came to Annie's phone, the more Jeff was slowly starting to believe that this entire thing might actually be real. Sure, the last time they'd been summoned to a hospital to Pierce's bedside, it had been a hoax, but could he really get an entire hospital staff on board with faking surgery? He couldn't rule anything out. Also, he would look like a huge ass if he went into Pierce's hospital room and demanded to see his incision.

A huge _creepy_ ass.

"Yeah," he finally said and opened his door. She followed suit and together they made their way through the parking lot and into the Greendale Memorial Hospital. Jeff followed her silently into the elevator and waited for the doors to close before he tried to speak again. "Can you at least for the time being not act like you hate me?"

"I don't hate you," Annie responded very carefully as she stared up at the floor readout above the doors. "I have no feelings for you either way, Jeff."

Jeff rolled his eyes. It was going to be this now? "Annie," he murmured as he stepped closer.

"Jeff," she said firmly, stepping further away. "I can't do this now."

He wasn't trying to pile onto her already delicate balance of neuroses, but it was a very real possibility that once those elevator doors opened they would be attacked by every single one of their friends, wanting to know exactly how much had gone on between them. If Shirley saw Annie despondent and quiet, she would know what had happened. Or she would at least know well enough to come after him with the glint in her eye, the one that said she had no qualms whatsoever about clubbing him like a baby seal.

"I promise not to sic Shirley on you though," she muttered as an afterthought, as _his _afterthought, and Jeff turned his eyes on her again. Annie wouldn't meet his gaze, but Jeff could tell she knew he was watching her when she sucked her lower lip into her mouth nervously. He could still make her nervous. Jeff exhaled with a sense of something that felt like relief. Well, of course he still made her nervous. He hadn't believed her when she'd said she didn't feel anything for him, but it was still an unanticipated weight off of his shoulders.

The doors opened in front of them and Jeff followed Annie out of the elevator and directly into the waiting room, where their entire study group sat, asleep in the uncomfortable chairs. He watched her make her way toward Troy and gently tap the younger man on the shoulder. Troy snorted as he sat up with a start, his eyes snapping open widely to take in everything around him. When his gaze landed on Annie, he grinned sleepily and rose to hug her. Jeff felt something tighten in his gut and shoved the sensation aside as quickly as he could. He had too many other things to deal with at the moment. Jeff could tell Annie was softly murmuring to her former crush, but couldn't hear what she was saying. When he stepped closer to them, she stopped speaking and Troy's eyes met his with more hesitation than Jeff was expecting.

"Hey," Troy greeted him, his eyes shifted toward Annie for a moment before settling on Jeff again.

Jeff decided to ignore it and instead narrowed his eyes. "What is the story?" he asked, trying not to sound as tired as he felt.

Troy wrinkled up his nose. "Yeah, I'm not really sure." He hooked his thumb back over his shoulder in the direction of the rest of the group. "Shirley is kind of the point man on this," he continued, whirling his hands around in the space between them. Jeff started to roll his eyes back in his head, but one admonishing look from Annie made him stop. She frowned in the direction of Shirley, clearly weighing her options.

Fortunately for her, at that moment Ben Chang rounded the corner and let his eyes land on Jeff. In the next moment, he was barreling toward the tall man, elation evident on his face. "Jeff!" he squealed happily and Jeff found himself raising his arms to stave off the sudden onslaught of tiny Asian man. The sudden noise caused the rest of the group to stir and groggily open their eyes. Jeff's eyes landed on Abed, who nodded solemnly at him with a knowing look on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Jeff asked sourly, holding his roommate at arm's length. "Were you invited or do you have people's phone lines tapped?"

"Annie!" Shirley cooed and then rushed toward them. "You're home." Jeff watched as she wrapped Annie in a loving hug, smoothing Annie's now-greasy hair away from her forehead. "Did you have a good time?" she asked the younger woman and Jeff felt a quick jolt of fear emanate from his chest. Annie nodded, giving Shirley a small smile before her eyes traveled to Jeff and landed. He felt something spark in his chest and coughed it away, turning his head to the side. "And you Jeff?" Shirley addressed him with a newly-found edge to her voice. "How was Italy?"

"Italian," Jeff answered tiredly as he raised a hand to rub at the back of his stiff neck. Somehow sleeping on planes and plastic chairs hadn't done any favors to his posture. He caught Britta's gaze as she rose from her own seat and approached the group just as Ben worked his way forward to lay his head against Jeff's chest. He glanced down at his former teacher with disgust for a moment before trying to push the small man away from him.

"Jeff," Britta greeted him tersely, her eyes harsh.

"Britta," he sighed.

"How's your phone?"

Jeff cleared his throat and glared at her. "Wet."

"So," Annie spoke up with a troubled expression in Jeff's direction. "How is Pierce?"

"They…had to take the prostate," Shirley said slowly, looking between Jeff and Annie.

Jeff exhaled loudly. "For some reason, that really makes me feel relieved."

"Me too," Shirley responded and Jeff grinned at her. She didn't return it, instead turning her attention back to Annie. "So, what amazing things did you see, pumpkin?"

The look on Annie's face made Jeff's stomach drop suddenly and he coughed again, gaining the attention of the entire group. "So, he really did have prostate surgery, right?" he spoke up. "It's not just another Pierce thing to get us to pay attention to him?"

"The surgeon came out and talked to us," Britta offered from Troy's side. Jeff gave her a hardened gaze. "Even _he _doesn't have that much power."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Jeff replied honestly and caught Annie's noticeable blush. "He was able to make Levar Burton appear." Troy's face fell and he looked away. Jeff didn't miss the comforting pat Britta gave to the younger man's arm.

"He didn't fake cancer, Jeff." Britta was frowning at him now. "Not everyone is as douchey as you are."

Jeff smiled at her sarcastically. "I'm really glad to be back."

"Jeff," Abed noted quietly. Jeff met his curious gaze and instantly felt as if the filmmaker could tell what he was thinking. He tried to clear his brain of all thoughts as quickly as possible just in case. "You kind of look like crap," Abed surmised after a moment's pause.

"He needs a new moisturizer," Annie noted dryly from next to him and Jeff felt something seize up violently in his chest. His eyes landed on her instantly and he found her looking up at him with a wry half-smile that faltered for just a moment when their gaze locked into place. Her lower lip got sucked into her mouth and in the next second, she averted her eyes to look at Abed, her fingernails, the scuffed linoleum floor. Jeff allowed his gaze to linger on her despite the half a dozen people that were standing with him, nurturing that feeling in his chest in a way he'd never let himself before. The sudden desperate need he felt to simply grab her hand and pull her down the nearest hallway caused his breath to pick up. He needed to talk to her, he needed to tell her. What if she slipped away completely from him and didn't know?

He loved her.

Didn't he?

He had almost no basis for comparison in this kind of thing, but that was what the warm, itchy, wholly unsettling sensation that was flooding through his body felt like. Despite that fact that every muscle in his body was begging him to find a bed and his brain was a fuzzy mess, Jeff wanted nothing more than to step toward Annie and pull her into his embrace and just…_hold_ her. He tried to shake the feeling off, as he had so many times before without knowing what it meant. But it remained, under layers of exhaustion and irritation and sadness, the thing he'd buried so deeply that he wasn't even aware it really existed.

"Have you guys eaten?" Shirley asked, pulling Jeff out of his foggy stupor. He was hungry, but it was an impulse he'd learned to curb many years ago.

"Yes," Annie spoke up with a nod that was more awake than she'd seemed in the last seven hours. Jeff raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Is the cafeteria still open?" she asked.

"No," Troy spoke up with a shake of his head. "But I know where the vending machines are." He jerked his head toward the hallways and the two left with Abed in tow.

"Hey guys, wait up!" Ben called, trotting after them. The group had just rounded the corner when Britta and Shirley turned toward Jeff in tandem, their peaceful expressions turning sour.

"Oh, shit," he muttered, closing his eyes momentarily.

"So, Jeffrey." Shirley was using her sickeningly sweet voice again. "How was your vacation?"

Britta crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, what did you get up to?"

"Not that this is any of your business, but nothing happened." Jeff crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "And I know I'm going to have to sit through whatever lecture you two have been working on since I left, but I don't want to hear it right now, okay?" With that, he turned and strode away from them, back toward a sitting area full of the same uncomfortable molded plastic chairs that he'd spent the last two days in. He wedged his giant frame into one and sat their agitatedly, jiggling his leg. In only a matter of seconds, Britta was landing in the seat next to him. Jeff eyed her warily, readying himself for whatever diatribe she was about to unleash on him.

"So," she started in a surprisingly soft tone. "You and Annie, huh?"

"No," Jeff bit out. "Not me and Annie."

"I can see that," Britta replied. "Are…you okay?"

Jeff's head shot up to meet her gaze and he found her with a look of nausea on her face. "You care?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes at him. "I still think this is a terrible idea and she's showing really bad taste in wanting anything with you." Britta's expression told Jeff that she would rather be saying anything else to him. "But, I can tell how you guys….feel about each other." She cringed at her words and Jeff sighed.

"We don't even know how we feel about each other," Jeff said flippantly.

"Sure you do," Britta answered easily, throwing Jeff off. "You wouldn't have gone in the first place if you didn't know."

Jeff stared at her for a long moment in silence. Jeff was not ready in the least to discuss Annie with Britta. He doubted he ever would be. Instead, he found focusing on Shirley, who had just been approached by a doctor dressed in scrubs. "So," Jeff said after a moment's silence as he turned to face Britta. "You and Troy, huh?"

Britta rolled her eyes. "Don't tell anyone."

"It's your business," Jeff replied smoothly. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you really think there's a chance that it isn't going to get weird with Abed when he finds out?"

Britta shrugged. " I don't know." She seemed as if the words were physically difficult to say. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, me neither." Jeff responded pointedly. He raised his eyebrows at the blonde and she glared at him.

Before Britta could give him a scathing reply, the trio returned from their snack-finding mission. Annie walked toward him and Jeff felt his heartbeat pick up involuntarily. When she reached them, she handed him a small bag of Sun Chips. He raised his hand and pulled the bag from her grasp, eyes trained steadily on her face. Jeff wasn't sure what he was waiting for from her, but he knew he would spot it when it happened. Her eyes locked with his and he couldn't stop the smile he felt turning his mouth upward. "Thanks," he murmured to her and she gave him a small nod. With an unsure look in Britta's direction, Annie wandered away from them, Jeff's eyes on her the entire time.

"Jeff," Abed spoke up, suddenly seated at this other side.

"Abed," Jeff replied.

Abed waggled his eyebrows at the tall man. "I hear you threw your phone in Pierce's pool."

Jeff threw his head back in frustration. "Yeah." He met Abed's eye line steadfastly. "Want to analyze that?"

"Oh Jeff," Abed replied with a shake of his head. "Don't you see? There's no need." Jeff paused, his jaw tightening suddenly. Abed knew. How the fuck did he already know? "How was Italy?"

Jeff swallowed after a moment of silence that he spent studying his friend. "It was fine," he finally answered. "I'll write up a report and have it to you by the end of the week."

"Cool," Abed answered. "Cool, cool cool."


	27. Chapter 27

"Dr. Stabler, please report to O.R." Annie opened one eye sleepily and stared up at the speaker that was situated right over her head in irritation. "Dr. Stabler, report to the O.R." She sighed and sat up from the position she'd fallen asleep in and let her eyes land on the person next to her, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Hi," he murmured quietly, a small smile on his face.

She averted her eyes nervously. "Hi."

"How was your nap?" He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned away enough to better look at her.

"Good." She furrowed her eyebrows. "When did you get here?"

Andre chuckled. "A few hours ago," he replied. "Shirley had to go home and pump, so I told her I would sit here in her place."

"Pump?" Annie asked distractedly as she reached a hand up to rub at her eyes tiredly.

"Yeah," Andre answered. "Breast… milk?" he continued slowly after a beat of awkward silence. Annie's eyes widened again before she ducked her head and tucked her hair behind her ears, blushing from the sudden embarrassment she felt flooding through her chest.

"Right," she replied after a moment. Annie exhaled and then glanced around the waiting area with a frown. "Where is everyone else?"

"Well," Andre wrinkled his forehead in concentration. "Pierce came out of recovery about half an hour ago. I think most of them are in with him now." He raised one hand to point in the direction of Pierce's hospital room. "But you were sleeping so soundly no one wanted to wake you."

She nodded in understanding before stretching her arms over her head. "What time is it?"

"A little after nine."

"At night?" Annie asked in confusion.

Andre laughed at her again. "Yeah. Are you sure you don't want to just go home and get some real sleep?" He cocked his head to the side. "You seem like you could use some rest."

"I need to see Pierce," Annie argued with a yawn. "Do you know what room he's in?" She rose from her seat and stretched her arms over her head again.

"Three seventeen," Andre responded as he too rose. He waved his arm in the direction of the room. "Right down here." Together, they had their way down the hallway.

"Have you been in to see him?" Annie asked. "How is he?"

"I haven't seen him." He shook his head. "I didn't want to wake you up, and even if I had I probably wouldn't have gone in." He shrugged. "I get the feeling he's not my biggest fan." Annie shrugged awkwardly.

As they approached Pierce's hospital room, she felt her nerves start to build up in her stomach. It wasn't really something that she could explain. It was unlikely that Pierce would be any more forthcoming with answers than Jeff had been, especially considering what appeared to be some shady business dealings going on with the entire thing. Andre reached the doorway first and gestured for Annie to go in before him with the wave of his arm. She smiled apprehensively at him before stepping into the room.

Britta was seated at Pierce's side with Abed standing behind her watching the proceedings. When Annie entered the room, his eyes shifted over to Pierce and then back to her. Pierce lay in the bed, prone and seemingly asleep. He looked tired. Annie bit her lip as she moved closer to the hospital bed. "How long has he been sleeping?"

"He's not asleep," Britta answered flatly with a roll of her eyes. With that, Annie glanced back up at Pierce's face to find the older man staring at her.

"Oh," Annie squeaked with a start, jumping back from the bed.

"Annie," Pierce said in strong pleasant tone. "How nice to see you." He gestured toward the Britta. "Have a seat, Brittles can move." The blonde woman glowered at him before rising from her seat and stomping away.

As Annie moved worriedly toward the chair, she took the opportunity to take in Pierce's appearance. He didn't seem to be in any pain, but that was probably a result of the pain meds he was surely on. His eyes seemed mostly clear and his pallor was surprisingly rosy. He watched her leisurely, a placid smile on his face. "Um," she started as she settled herself neatly on the edge of the chair. "How are you feeling?"

"Let me tell you, Annie." Pierce gestured for her to move closer to him and Annie scooted her chair nearer to the bed. "If you had asked me last week, I would have told you I wasn't feeling that great. But…" He pointed emphatically at his chest. "But if I've learned anything in the last twenty-four hours, it's that I am indestructible."

Annie glanced up at Abed, who was nodding along with Pierce.

"Oh," she said quietly as she looked over at Britta, who rolled her eyes again. "Good …for you?"

"Thank you," he answered dismissively. "So, how was Case de Hawthorne?"

She swallowed down the bad taste in her mouth and smiled tightly at him. "Great, thank you." Pierce's eyes were on hers, narrowed in concentration. "I had a great time," Annie went on in an unconvincing tone. "Your house is beautiful."

"And I trust that the staff were able to….accommodate you?"

Annie frowned at him for a moment before pulling her lower lip into her mouth. "Sergio was very helpful, yes." She clasped her hands into her lap. "He taught me how to cook."

"I thought he might," Pierce replied with a slow nod. "Now, let me ask-" He cut himself off as all eyes landed on the doorway. Troy and Jeff entered, followed closely by Ben. "Jeffrey," he greeted him jovially.

"Pierce," Jeff grumbled. "You're still alive I see."

"Disappointed?" the older man asked.

Jeff nodded. "Kind of, yeah."

"Jeff," Annie admonished, her mouth becoming tighter by the second. Their eyes met briefly and the hard look on Jeff's face caused Annie to look at away in the next moment.

"Chang," Pierce said flatly. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure I got my Gameboy back, just in case you kick." He shot Pierce a significant look before slowly walking back toward Jeff.

"I'll have to look for it later," Pierce dismissed Chang. With that, the older man turned his attention back toward Annie. She felt something sink in her chest at the sight of the smile on his face. "Annie and I were just talking about your travels abroad," Pierce announced to Jeff. "Did you have any thoughts you wanted to share on the subject, Jeff?"

"Not especially," Jeff replied flatly.

"You seem tired, Jeff." Annie kept her eyes on Pierce, who kept his eyes on Jeff. He was clearly trying to provoke a specific response from the former lawyer. The animosity between the two men was filling the room with a stifling amount of tension. What had caused any of the events that had happened between them? Why had Pierce been willing to pay for Rich's ticket but not Jeff's? It made no sense to Annie, but she was sure Pierce would have an answer for her as soon as she could get the question out of her mouth.

At Pierce's comment, Annie watched Jeff visibly stiffen and then his eyes were on her again. She felt something she'd been trying to ignore roll over and perk up in her chest. He blinked in the next instant and crossed his arms over his chest before focusing solely on Pierce again. "Yeah," he said. "I've heard that."

Pierce gave Jeff a relaxed smile in response before turning his attention back to Annie, who was feeling more apprehension with every passing second. "I hope Dr. Kettlecorn showing up was a welcome surprise."

Jeff coughed suddenly and Annie tried her best not to look at him, instead keeping her eyes focused on Pierce's face as she thought of an answer that wouldn't give away too much. "Rich is a great guy." Annie bit her lip. "We had fun together."

"Until Jeff showed up," Pierce led her.

"Hey," Jeff stated acerbically. "Can I have a word with Piece alone?"

Annie looked up at him nervously, but he wouldn't meet her eye. He was staring resolutely at Pierce, whose fearless façade was now tinged with a small amount of hesitation. Rising from her seat, Annie exchanged looks with Britta, who raised her eyebrows and gave a little shrug. Silently, everyone but Jeff filed out of the room with Andre pulling the door shut behind himself.

"Should….one of us stand outside the door in case Jeff tries to smother him with a pillow?" Troy asked, pointing his thumb back toward the room they had all just left.

Britta's expression made it seem like she had eaten something that had gone bad. "I don't really care," she finally conceded.

"He wouldn't really do anything, would he?" Andre pushed his hands into the pockets as he looked Troy to Annie in confusion.

"He would," Abed noted with a nod. "He has."

"Really?" Andre asked, his eyes widening.

Everyone nodded slowly. "And from what I've heard, it's pretty likely right now." Britta added.

"What have you heard?" Annie questioned the blonde before she could think better of it. In the next instant, she could feel her face heat up when Britta gave her a smirk and arched one eyebrow at her. "I mean…" Annie trailed off, shaking her head confusedly.

"Do _you_ think it's likely that Jeff would try to kill Pierce?" Abed asked Annie, causing her to flinch.

"I…don't know," Annie stammered, shaking her head. "I really don't know anything about what is going on between Pierce and Jeff."

She hoped she was being at least slightly convincing. She didn't want the discussion to turn into an interrogation. It was unlikely, given that Shirley wasn't at the hospital anymore, but it was still a possibility. And Abed was still watching her with sharp eyes, scanning through Annie's brain without permission. She had a feeling that her former make-out partner not only knew that _she_ knew what the situation was, but that he _himself_ knew what the situation was. He had always been very good at reading all of them, to a disconcerting degree most of the time.

"Really?" Troy questioned pointedly. He glanced over at Britta, who pursed her lips.

"_I_ even know what is going on between Pierce and Jeff," Andre noted.

"Seriously, Annie." Britta crossed her arms over her chest. "What gives?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she snapped in response, causing the blonde's eyes to widen. Annie frowned slightly and wandered away from the group and down the hallway toward the vending machine again. She dug into the pair of jeans she'd been wearing for the last two days and pulled out the only change she had left before staring blankly at the choices in front of her. Instead of inserting her money, she leaned forward and rested her forehead against the plexiglass, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Annie."

Her eyes fluttered open as she stood straight again and turned toward the person who had joined her. "Troy," she replied guardedly.

"Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly. She nodded her head. "Annie?"

"I'm fine," Annie answered. "I'm just tired." She yawned. "So, you and Britta?"

Troy actually grinned shyly at that, glancing down at his feet for a moment before meeting her gaze again. "Yeah." Annie smiled at him, feeling herself melt slightly. "But we really aren't telling people, yet."

"Her call?" Annie asked. Troy nodded. "What is it with them being so guarded?" She knew she wasn't going to have to be more specific with him than that, but was slightly relieved when he shrugged without questioning it. "He thinks I'm a manipulative little kid," Annie murmured in the silence that followed.

"No, he doesn't." She felt a sense of irritation rise in her chest and tried to push it back down. Why was it that all of her friends thought they could weigh in on the subject of her love life? Did Troy have any idea what had been going on between she and Jeff?

Well, probably.

"Really," she responded flatly. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him expectantly. "What do you know, Troy?" Annie was tired. She was so tired of hearing other people's opinion on her relationship with Jeff, or lack thereof. What was the level that was one beyond 'over'? That was where she and Jeff were.

Past over.

"Do you want something?" Annie asked belatedly, nodding her head toward the vending machine.

"Nah," Troy answered with a shake of his head. "Shirley told me I've already had too much sugar today." Annie nodded. "Not that I would listen to her," he forced out as an afterthought. She smiled at him sympathetically. In the next moment, a thought occurred to her.

"Hey, I need to ask." She cocked her head to the side. "What is Abed's movie about?"

"It's kind of unclear," Troy replied, his face thoughtful. "He hasn't let me see the script or really see that much of the filming." Annie frowned. "Closed set," he explained further and she nodded. "But I know we went to the Holiday Inn on State Street with that Chang kid and filmed him eating at the continental breakfast buffet." The brunette narrowed her eyes, completely confused now. Maybe she had been wrong this entire time. Maybe she'd been reading too much into what he was requesting film of. The truth was that she _wanted _it to have been about she and Jeff because somehow, it made something happening between them much more likely.

Annie stepped toward him without getting anything from the vending machine and together, they wandered back toward the surgical waiting area.

"-that I fucked up, okay?"

They both stopped dead and Annie's jaw dropped in surprise. Jeff and Britta were standing outside of Pierce's room, clearly in the middle of an argument. Annie tried not to read too much into seeing them in the middle of a fight, but didn't quite manage. Of course they were fighting. They had way more history than she and Jeff or Britta and Troy. That was something that might never change. It would never be something that she could handle, the idea of Jeff being friends with Britta. Nervously, Annie glanced over at Troy, who suddenly seemed more tense. In the next instant, her eyes connected with Jeff's and she felt all the air leave her lungs. Everyone had been right, he looked…_tired_.

Tired and angry and resigned.

"Jeff," Britta said quietly and reached for his arm, which caused Annie and Troy to flinch in unison. The next instant, Jeff pulled away and stormed back into Pierce's room and shut the door forcefully.


	28. Chapter 28

"Pierce. "

Jeff approached the bed, every ounce of anger that had been building up for the last two weeks simmering just under the surface. It was his second attempt at talking to the man, having been pulled out of the room by Britta only moments after he'd banished the entire group from the room. Of course he knew that it would be in poor form to actually try to kill the man who left recovery from major surgery within the last hour.

But that didn't mean he didn't want or need some answers from him.

"Did you get everything settled with your girlfriend?" Pierce asked breezily from his bed.

Jeff closed his eyes and counted to ten. "Britta is not my _girlfriend_."

"So she's not your girlfriend anymore," Pierce replied dismissively. "Who can keep track with you?"

Jeff narrowed his eyes. "Did you actually have surgery, Pierce? Or is this one of those things where you trick us into emotion that you can use against us when it comes time for world domination?"

The older man's lips curled upward. "Jeff, I have taught you well." He rested a hand gingerly on his stomach. "I can assure you I no longer have my prostate, though."

"Glad to hear it," Jeff muttered as he lifted his chin. "So, why have you been avoiding everyone?"

Pierce folded his hands into his lap. "I have been spending my time getting my affairs in order."

"What affairs?"

Pierce waved a hand and gestured for Jeff to take a seat in the chair that Annie had recently vacated. Jeff rolled his eyes and ambled around the end of the bed to drop into the small chair. "Jeff, you may not realize this, but I have recently laughed in the face of death." The former lawyer nodded sarcastically. "And I wanted to have a contingency plan in place in case that..." He waved his arm again, searching for the word. "…didn't happen."

"Okay?" Jeff prompted flatly.

"My lawyers advised me to be ready for other possibilities," Pierce continued. "So I took the opportunity to update my will."

"What?" Jeff asked, feeling genuine surprise at that answer. "You did?"

"I hadn't revised it since nineteen ninety- two," Pierce stated and Jeff rolled his eyes.

"So," Jeff responded. "Are you leaving everything to Ann-Margret and Don Cheney?" He leaned back in the chair and stretched his legs out in front of him.

Pierce gave him the smallest flicker of a wry smile. "Oh, Jeffrey." He sighed. "I will have you know that I am giving a rather sizable donation to my future alma mater."

"You're leaving your money to Greendale?" Jeff asked, looking at the old man as if he'd lost what little was left of his mind. "Couldn't you find something less worthwhile? Like investing in a pyramid scheme?"

"I have no progeny," Pierce said. "While I have many stepchildren, none of them have remained…close to me."

"I think that will change when you kick," Jeff replied, feeling a sense of loss over his missing phone. Why had he let his anger and stress get the better of him? He was losing a game of Words With Friends to Garrett of all people.

"Probably true," the patient responded. "But I wanted to make sure my money went to someone who would be able to use it and appreciate it."

"Like who?" Jeff asked, his patience with the former study group member waning by the second.

"That's not something I feel comfortable divulging right now, Jeff."

Jeff frowned. "Okay."

"So, how was the vacation?" Pierce asked brightly.

Jeff stared up at the stained ceiling tiles and sighed. "I would tell you, but I have this feeling you already know." He sat forward in his chair. "So, seriously. What was it all about Pierce? What was the point of any of it?"

"I sense some…tension between…." Pierce waved his hand in the air. "Between you and Annie. Something happen there?"

"Pierce," Jeff snapped. "I promised Britta I wouldn't smother you with a pillow, but I don't care that much about lying to her."

"You don't care that much about lying to anyone, Jeffrey." Pierce raised his eyebrows meaningfully. Jeff simply stared at the man before raising his eyebrows as well. He was at Pierce's mercy now. He could either play along or he could storm out and never get the answers he wanted from the crazy old man in the bed.

"I've decided to leave the rest of my money to Annie."

Wait.

What?

"Um," Jeff said slowly, sitting up more fully. "You're leaving Annie your money when you die?"

"Yes, well I think we can both agree that it will be a long time until that happens." Pierce struggled to sit up against his pillows, wincing slightly. Jeff felt something tighten in his gut. "I've proven to be indestructible."

"You and Cher," the younger man added with a nod.

"She is a fine entertainer," Pierce snapped and Jeff's eyebrows rose.

"Okay," Jeff answered. "What does this have to do with sending her to Italy?"

"If ever a girl needed a vacation, it is Annie." Pierce shrugged his shoulders lightly.

"And that's it?" Jeff asked suspiciously. "She needed a vacation?"

"Yes," the older man defended. "That's it. You know, some people don't go into everything with ulterior motives, Jeffrey."

"But you're not one of those people," Jeff noted. "So what is your angle, Pierce?"

"When faced with the possibility of death, one that I have since…uh, laughed in the face of," he stated, "you really have to analyze the people in your life and decide which ones you want to keep around and which ones to dump." He sat up straighter. "And which ones you need to test."

"You were testing her?" Jeff asked, feeling anger bubble up in his stomach.

Pierce shook his head slowly. "No." He raised one eyebrow in Jeff's direction.

Oh.

"Don't get me wrong," Pierce stated after a beat. "It wasn't about testing you so much. What would there be to test? You reacted exactly as I knew you would in every situation that was presented to you." Pierce let the corners of his mouth turn up. "No, it was more about proving to Annie that you weren't worth it, and you did that all on your own. Didn't you?"

"So, you weren't testing me when you gave me that money?" Maybe coming into the room was a bad idea. Jeff was running on too little sleep and too much anger toward the man in front of him to be making sound decisions.

"Well, I thought that I wouldn't _have_ to give you any money when I gave Annie that extra ticket." Pierce reached over to his bedside table and grasped a forgotten Jell-O cup before peeling back the foil lid. "I knew she would offer it to you."

"You did?" Jeff replied in a flat tone.

"She looks at you like the sun rises and sets with you," Pierce answered through a mouthful of Jell-O. Jeff rolled his eyes. "None of us understand why."

"Have I mentioned that I'm glad you lost your prostate?" Jeff grumbled.

"Not specifically, but I assumed as much." Pierce resituated himself again, wincing slightly and Jeff felt a tiny prickle of guilt. "Believe it or not, what I wanted was for Annie to be happy. " He waved a hand toward Jeff. "Unfortunately for her, that means you. " Jeff rolled his eyes. "But it turns out you didn't deserve any of my effort."

"Your effort?" Jeff repeated with narrowed eyes.

"Yes," Pierce nodded emphatically. "When you came to me that day and told me you needed a ticket to Italy to keep Annie from falling under Rich's evil thrall, I knew you were lying." Jeff glowered at him. "I just thought you were lying to me about _why_ you wanted to go because you didn't want to tell me the real reason." He sucked a bite of Jell-O through his teeth. "But it turns out you were lying to _yourself_ about why you were going. Which means you've been in even deeper denial than I thought." He pointed his spoon at Jeff and sighed. "Do _you_ know why you needed to go to Italy, Jeff?"

Jeff felt something tighten in the pit of his stomach and tried to push it down violently, but for once, it wouldn't budge. It sat there like a lump of lead, making him unable to ignore what he'd been trying to avoid for entirely too long. After two more failed attempts, he managed to shove the feeling back down into its previously appointed place in his head and his heart and took a strangle hold of his irritation with the man in front of him.

Of course he knew.

He couldn't give Pierce the satisfaction though.

Could he?

"Pierce," Jeff said, an edge creeping into his voice. "Can you hold still while I get a syringe and put an air bubble in your blood stream?" Pierce smiled.

"Your anger and frustration are highly entertaining," Pierce noted. "Annie lives in a small apartment she can't afford above a second location of a fetish business that has a limited selection." He waved his spoon. "I wanted to give her a vacation that she deserved."

"And Rich?" Jeff asked. "What was the point of him?"

Pierce sighed. "Knowing how hung up you get on things like appearance, I thought there could be a chance you would turn her down." Jeff glared at him. "That was where Rich came in." Jeff pulled his feet from the bed and sat up straighter. "He got a free trip to Europe and there was the added bonus of knowing it would make you lose your mind. Rich was given the edge, the …the head-start that you turned down with both hands."

"Yeah, well Rich didn't take advantage of it." Jeff tightened his jaw and began to drum his fingers against the arm of the chair he was in.

"I know," he stated. "I did not see that coming, did you?" Jeff's jaw tensed. "Anyway, enough chatting. I need to get my rest. I expect a payment from you by next Thursday."

"Um," Jeff narrowed his eyes. "The stipulations of that stupid contract stated pretty clearly that the money would be a gift if I didn't enter into any kind of romantic entanglement with Annie." He shrugged dismissively. "I didn't."

Pierce's eyebrows met in the middle of his forehead. "I would argue that something _did_ happen between the two of you." The older man sighed. "Here's the thing, Jeff. There was a time when I would have thought that you really did care about Annie."

Jeff's stomach twisted. "When was that?" he asked, aiming for nonchalance and undershooting, if Pierce's expression was anything to go by.

"Some time before everyone found out you were boffing Flat-butt all year," the older man stated with a knowing glance.

"Was the point of doing all of this work just for the purposes of making me look like an asshole?"

Pierce gave a dry chuckle and Jeff clenched his jaw as tightly as he could. "You are so self-involved."

Jeff glared at him incredulously. "Says the man with the life-size marble statue of himself at his house."

"You came off looking and acting exactly like _you_, Jeff." Pierce placed the empty cup back on the table and licked his lips. "You did the heavy lifting for me."

Jeff glowered down at him before digging into his pocket and pulling the manila envelope out of his back pocket. He tossed it carelessly at the old man. "See you around campus, Pierce." He spun to leave.

"Wait."

"What?" Jeff snapped at him. When he turned back to look at Pierce, he noticed the older man had paled considerably in only five seconds. "What do you want?"

Pierce was staring down at the envelope that he was now grasping tightly. "Who gave this to you?"

"You're really going to act like you don't know what that is?" Jeff rolled his eyes. "I got it from Camilla. You know, the she-devil who owns the house next to yours in Italy?" He moved back closer to the bed. "Remember her? The one who has been spying for you the last two weeks? What is it? What kind of deal did you have with her?" With a slightly trembling hand, Pierce opened the end of the envelope and tipped it over. Something small fell out immediately, landing in Pierce's lap and Jeff's jaw dropped.

The fuck?

The gold wedding band glinted against the drab hospital blanket and Jeff resisted the urge to snatch it up to stare at it. The older man looked at it blankly before glancing up at Jeff with something that in anyone else would be catalogued as sadness. "Pierce."

"Jeff," Pierce answered before reaching forward and plucking the small piece of metal from his lap and lifting it to look at it more closely.

"That is a wedding ring," he noted, pointing a finger at it.

"Yes," the gray-haired man replied flatly before popping it back into the envelope. When he did so, his eyes caught on something and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and a worn photograph slid from the paper. Jeff reached forward and grabbed it before Pierce could react. Staring at it, Jeff felt a mixture of horror and awe bubble up in his chest. The photo was washed out with a seventies-style orange tint to it, but he could place the two people in it right away. They looked so happy together that it scared the study group leader.

Standing side by side, looking at each other adoringly, were Pierce Hawthorne and his new bride, Camilla.

"Holy crap," Jeff muttered, feeling a wave of understanding roll over him. Everything clicked into place in Jeff's brain. The instinctive hatred, the way she'd reacted when she'd learned about Pierce's condition. It hadn't made sense at the time, but it all did now.

Pierce stared down at his hands for a moment. "I met her in nineteen seventy-four. She was modeling." His smile was warmer than Jeff could ever remember having seen it before and he felt his defenses slip ever so slightly. "She was…everything I'd ever been looking for in a woman."

"Rich, beautiful, pure evil." Jeff ticked them off on his fingers slowly with a nod.

"Exactly," Pierce replied and Jeff rolled his eyes. "She was perfect for me."

"_That_ I completely agree with," the younger man said. "I wouldn't wish either of you on anyone else."

"It was a whirlwind romance. Well, after the quickie divorce from the wife I had at the time." Jeff nodded in mock understanding. "We were married after only a couple months."

"I know you like to move fast, just in case the woman realizes the mistake she's making," Jeff offered.

"Jeffrey, please hold all comments until the end," Pierce noted weakly without breaking his rhythm. "As I was saying, I was blissfully happy. We honeymooned in Italy and Camilla was taken with the country."

Jeff smirked up at the ceiling. "Well, they encourage drinking all day over there."

"Exactly," Pierce agreed. "We bought two properties and the vineyard and started making wine. It was a magical time in my life. Camilla was my equal in every way. Things were going very well for us for many years. That woman is amazing. We had a very inventive and exploratory sex life." Jeff groaned in disgust. How had this happened? He had been in Italy in the process of seducing Annie and now he was in a hospital room that smelled vaguely of disinfectant, listening to Pierce wax poetic on his own former sex life. "And like you already pointed out, she has a bit of an evil streak in her that I found incredibly sexy."

"Pierce," Jeff held up his hands defensively, trying to stop the older man's train of thought. "Anything that is going to end up in a place where I have to think about your penis is off limits."

"She is the heiress to the Nabisco fortune," the older man went on. "Her ancient crazy father wanted her to marry better."

"Better than a moist towelette tycoon?" Jeff asked flatly.

"Compared to Nabisco, Hawthorne Wipes is tiny," Pierce explained. "He was trying to arrange a marriage to the heir of Velveeta."

Jeff's headache was getting worse by the second. "So her father broke up your marriage because you weren't good enough for his satanic daughter," Jeff surmised. Pierce nodded. "You know, this story would be slightly more convincing if you hadn't gotten married like four more times since that, Pierce."

The man in the bed shook his head. "You just don't get it, Jeff." He picked up the envelope and handed it to Jeff, who accepted it uncertainly before glancing down at it. "It hasn't mattered how many women I've tried to replace her with, no one ever could."

"Okay?" Jeff responded haltingly.

"Several months ago, she called me out of the blue." Jeff instinctively reached for his phone before cursing to himself silently. "She had gotten one of the properties in the divorce, but she wants the other one and the vineyard." Pierce rolled his eyes. "Apparently, her newest husband wants to get into the wine-making business."

"Kevin is an idiot," Jeff muttered.

"Thank you," Pierce said with a nod.

Jeff shook his head. "Yeah, that wasn't a compliment to you."

"Now, I had no interest in taking her money." Jeff narrowed his eyes at the other man. "But I did make a pretty savvy deal with her."

Jeff sighed. "This is where Annie comes in."

"You're rushing ahead, Jeff." Pierce put his arms behind his head and relaxed back against his pillows. "I'm trying to tell you a story in a humorous manner for your own enjoyment."

"I appreciate that," Jeff lied flatly. "But I haven't slept or showered or eaten in at least a couple days and I've alienated every one of my friends, half for trying to pursue Annie, and half for not pursuing her enough. So could you get to some sort of point that relates to me?"

"No one is angry at you for pursuing her, Jeff." Jeff raised an eyebrow challengingly. "They're mad that you've been going about it so half-_assed_."

"I've been half-assed?" Jeff countered. "I've been as whole-assed as I can be considering how much you were stacking the deck against me this entire time." He gestured toward the closed door. "Was everyone in on this?"

"No," Pierce scoffed. "Only Camilla." He paused. "And the Italian cook. And possibly Dr. Kettlecorn."

"Has she told you _everything _that has happened?" Jeff asked.

"She would really like to have that property, Jeff."

The younger man narrowed his eyes at Pierce in contemplation. "And what is that that you were trying to get out of this, Pierce?" When the older man didn't answer, Jeff rose from his chair. "I would like to say I feel bad that you have lost a big chunk of your manhood, but I would be lying."

"Sit down," Pierce commanded and Jeff looked down at him for a moment, weighing his options. When he remained standing, the older man merely sighed in exasperation. "Jeffrey, when I say I care about Annie, I mean it."

"Except for the part where you use her as a pawn in your power struggle with your ex-wife," Jeff shot back.

"Annie was never part of the game," Pierce defended and Jeff rolled his eyes.

"You wagered an entire _property_ on her," he pointed out, his voice rising.

"It was never a competition," the older man explained with a shake of his head.

Jeff paused. "Then what was it?"

"Money," Pierce said in a low voice. "Money can ruin good people. Money can ruin a lot of things, Jeff." He stared down at the bed, waiting for Pierce to continue. "I've seen it happen." Pierce waved his hand in Jeff's direction. "It has happened to me. I just needed to make sure that…" The older man shrugged.

"That?" Jeff repeated questioningly.

Pierce thought over his words for a moment. "Annie has a history riddled with issues."

"Are you the pot or the kettle right now?" Jeff interjected, but Pierce ignored him.

"She's become a much stronger person than I think even she realizes."

Jeff nodded. "She does know how to shoot a paintball gun."

Pierce stared at him, practically through him. "That doesn't mean she doesn't need someone in her corner. Do you know what I'm saying?"

Yes.

Of course he did.

He was saying that…

Trying to ignore all of the implications that the older man was making, Jeff forced his expression into one of practiced nonchalance. "And that was it?"

Pierce stilled. "It was just like old times," he answered distractedly. "The first time I heard her voice on the phone, everything I'd ever felt for her was back." What? Jeff watched as Pierce glanced over at the envelope that sat on the table. "I would have signed over the property to her on the first day, but I knew I would never hear from her ever again, and I couldn't…" Pierce raised his eyebrows and shook his head, unable to finish his sentence.

It was somehow completely unnatural and totally right at the same time.

"You're still in love with her," Jeff filled in for his former study group member.

"Like I said, when you're faced with death, you decide what is important." He leaned back and folded his hands behind his head. "I know what I've lost," he said quietly, his eyelids starting to droop slightly. "I was hoping I could help you keep from making the some mistakes I have made." He shrugged a hospital gown-covered shoulder. "What can I say? I still have a soft spot for you."

"You just said you wanted to see me crash and burn to prove a point to Annie," Jeff remarked, his voice rising in anger before he paused. "What mistake am I making?"

"At some point, you are going to realize what all of the rest of us, including Annie, already know." He finally let his eyes close fully. "It will be interesting to see if she has any interest in hearing about it when you finally figure that out."

"You couldn't have taken up woodworking as a hobby?" Jeff questioned in a wry tone.

Pierce studied him in silence for several seconds before he smiled gently. "On second thought, I don't think I will need a repayment."

Jeff stilled. "What? Why?"

The old man opened his eyes and stared at Jeff appraisingly. "Seeing you so miserable and seeing how miserable you've made Annie is worth the cost of this entire thing."

"And you're the one who cares about her? " Jeff nodded sarcastically. "And the possibility that she could get hurt? Did that matter when you started this whole thing?"

Pierce shook his head. "Only one of us broke her heart, and it wasn't me." Pierce relaxed back against the pillow and let his eyes flutter closed for a moment and Jeff allowed himself to really focus on the man. He looked older and more tired than Jeff had ever seen him. His words were still as biting as they had ever been, but they were coming out of the mouth of a man who really had been faced with his own death and had…

He had no reason to be lying about anything that he had said so far.

"You don't deserve her," Pierce muttered. Jeff let his eyes stay on Pierce's face for a beat of silence. Pierce had somehow cast himself as the loving protective father to Annie, giving her everything she could want.

Jeff was the bad guy.

How the hell had that happened?

Jeff sighed closed his eyes. He tightened his jaw and then cleared his throat. "Remember that time I tried to kill you for lying about my dad? Sorry."

"Jeffrey," Pierce said in a quiet tone. "Because I am magnanimous, I accept your apology." Jeff resisted the urge to roll his eyes back into his head. "On one condition. One way or another," he said in a low voice. "Just…." He waved a hand in the air as he searched for a word, "just tell her, Jeff. One way or another."

He frowned down at the man in the bed and felt a wave of what was close to affection wash over him. Instinctively, he moved closer to Pierce in a moment of weakness before freezing. He coughed. "And…and what are you going to do, Pierce?"

"I," the former and possibly future study group member stated, "am going to go to sleep and then I'm going to get out of this hospital." He raised his eyes to Jeff's. "And then I'm going to make a call to Italy."

Jeff thought back to the expression that had been on Camilla's face when she'd been told the news about Pierce. It was the same expression that had been on Pierce's face when he'd opened the envelope. "She…" Jeff sighed again. "She will probably be happy to hear from you."

"The same goes for you," Pierce noted with gentle nod toward the door.

Jeff took a deep breath and continued to stare at the fearless man in front of him. Pierce had always played as if he had nothing to lose. And it had always worked out for him, even when he'd tried his hardest to make sure it wouldn't.

So…what was Jeff so afraid of?

"Okay Pierce." He sighed and dropped back into the chair. "What's your advice?"


	29. Chapter 29

"And it opens tomorrow," Troy told her. "It's going to be awesome."

Annie nodded at him before turning to Abed, who was seated on the other side of her. "What about you?" she asked.

Abed shrugged his shoulders. "I'm still undecided. J.J. Abrams has a good track record. But he's disappointed plenty of times. Remember 'Undercovers'?"

Annie caught movement out of the corner of her eye and looked up in time to see Jeff moving toward her with more determination than she would expect from him. When their eyes met, he stalled for the briefest of moments before approaching the three of them. "Hey," he greeted them.

"Hey," Abed nodded. "Have you been in there with Pierce this whole time?"

"We had some things to discuss," Jeff answered. Annie watched as his eyes darted toward Troy's before he inhaled. "Are you ready to head out?"

"You're leaving together?" Abed asked from beside her.

"No," Annie answered immediately, garnering a confused expression from Jeff. "I mean, he's going to drive me back to my car. Yes." She could feel the blush beginning to pinken her cheeks. "But we're not going home together, no." Her eyes swept up to Jeff again. He was frowning at her. "He's just giving me a lift to my car," she finished lamely. There was a certain domesticity to the phrase 'going home together' that caused her chest to give a twinge that Annie understood but wished she didn't. She rose from her seat and turned in the direction of the elevator.

"You guys going home?" Shirley asked as she rose and approached them.

"We _aren't_," Annie stated emphatically. "I mean, he's going to drop me off at my car and then I'm going home and he's going home. But we're _not_ going home together."

"Relax Annie," Britta said in a soothing tone. "She wasn't implying anything."

"Oh," she answered belatedly with a small nod. She pulled the sleeves of her borrowed sweatshirt over the ends of her hands before crossing her arms over her chest. "Right." Annie tucked a thick strand of hair behind her ear and looked up at Jeff. There was an expression on his face that she would almost classify as concern if she didn't know better.

"Thanks for coming back," Britta continued quietly, meeting Jeff's gaze unsurely. He swallowed and gave a tiny nod and she offered him a grimace in response. Annie resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the exchange. How had those two ever managed to communicate on any level at all? They were both allergic to feelings.

Maybe that's why it had worked.

"I'll call you in the morning, pumpkin." Shirley cooed to her and Annie nodded before hugging the older woman tightly. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed everyone until she'd seen them again. Without another word, Annie turned and shuffled toward the elevator. She could hear Jeff murmuring to the group behind her, but didn't care enough about what he was saying to turn around and go back. He followed her a moment later and they entered the elevator in silence that felt surprisingly tense. The second Annie stopped moving and wasn't expected to keep up her half of a conversation, she could feel her eyelids begin to droop.

No, she couldn't fall asleep again.

Not yet anyway.

She struggled to open her eyes, but they slid closed again, almost against her will. The sound of a soft chuckle from Jeff is what caused her to finally force her eyes open again. Were they in the slowest elevator in the world? The Greendale hospital was only four stories high, why was it taking so long to get back to ground level?

She relaxed and let her eyes drift shut again.

The loud ding of the door opening at the lobby shook her out of her dozing and she met Jeff's bemused gaze before shuffling out of the elevator ahead of him.

Always ahead of him it seemed.

They wandered in tandem back to his car and Annie found herself struggling with the door handle several times before managing to get it to work for her. She crawled into the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt instantly to keep Jeff from repeating his earlier actions. Not that she didn't want it to happen. It was scary how much, even in her advanced state of unconsciousness, Annie wanted it to happen again. She let her eyes slide closed again and inhaled deeply before laying her head back against his soft leather headrest.

Jeff backed his Lexus out of the parking spot and drove slowly toward the exit to the street. Annie forced her eyes open once more in time to see him take a right instead of a left as he should have.

"Where are we going?" Annie mumbled. "My car is at the airport. The airport is the other direction." Jeff kept his eyes on the road.

"We're not going to the airport."

He had to be kidding.

Right?

Or maybe she had misheard him. Annie knew she wasn't really awake enough to trust what he was saying, or at least what she thought he was saying. Where could he possibly be taking her if he wasn't driving her back to his car. Like he said he was going to.

"Okay," she mumbled with a sidelong glance at him. He kept his eyes on the road. "If we're not going back to the airport to get my car, then where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home," Jeff intoned to her, squaring his shoulders.

Something about the late-night tone of his voice and the words he was saying made Annie's stomach flip over. Despite everything he had put her through in the last three weeks, he was still able to cause a reaction in her.

Annie hated it.

"Jeff," she stated as surely as she could. "I can drive home on my own."

"She yawned," he shot back, finally looking over at her. Annie rolled her eyes before turning to look out the window with a frown. Why was it that Jeff always felt the need to make decisions for her. If she wanted to drive her own car home, why couldn't he just let her? The new tradition he had of acting like he was her chaperone was endlessly infuriating. She wasn't supposed to drink, she wasn't supposed to hook up with strangers, she wasn't supposed to get behind the wheel when she was mostly asleep.

Okay, so he probably had a point.

But Annie was still pissed.

"So how am I supposed to get my car back?" she asked, crossing her arms petulantly across her chest.

Jeff let out a sigh. "I will pick you up tomorrow and take you out to the airport to get your car."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Annie shot back.

"I'm not," Jeff answered easily.

"You said before that you were going to take me back there," she pointed out challengingly.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I was lying then."

"Jeff," Annie whined.

"You do know that isn't going to work, right?" He gave her a look that seemed almost bemused and Annie felt a twinge in her chest. She was tired, probably too tired to be thinking. What Annie needed was time and space to actually organize her thoughts. She had spent the last two weeks, no the last two _years_ under and self-imposed barrage of overly-complicated and overly-childish feelings for Jeff. Enough was enough. She could push and push and spend the next two years pushing him, but in the end, would they be any better off?

"Fine," she murmured quietly and shoved her hands into the pockets of the hooded sweatshirt she had been wearing for over a day, the one she'd swiped from her closet at the last moment in fear of getting too cold on the airplane as she had on the way to Italy.

When she had finally managed to gather all of their luggage in the foyer of Pierce's mansion, Annie mentally checking things off her list, Rich had stepped toward her and asked to speak to her privately. Bewildered, Annie had left Jeff in the entry way and followed Rich up the staircase and into his room. The room was immaculate, as if no one had been living there at all. Annie had let an inappropriate question about whether he was staying with Sergio flit through her head before shaking it away and focusing on the doctor's words.

"Annie," Rich had started and it was only then that Annie had noticed his stricken expression.

She'd bit her lip. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he had replied distractedly. "Listen Annie, I'm really sorry about earlier."

Annie had found herself waving him off quickly, desperate to not relive the moment he'd referred to. "Yeah, it's not a big deal. We don't have to talk about it, Rich."

His eyes had widened. "Right," he'd muttered after a moment, clearly reading the situation correctly. "Well, what I was going to say when I came up here earlier is that I need to talk to you about Camilla."

Annie had opened her mouth to question him when the cab had honked outside at the curb, announcing its arrival. "I have to go," she had stated in a worried tone, glancing toward the door to his bedroom. "I'll call you when we land in Philadelphia," she'd nodded to the doctor as she'd backed out of the room.

"Annie," Rich had called after her, but stopped as they noticed the scene before them.

Camilla stood before Jeff, lip trembling in a stunning showcase of genuine emotion. "Just make sure he gets this," Annie had heard the older woman mumble before regarding Annie and Rich with a nod and leaving through the front door.

The question that she'd wanted to ask Jeff had died on her tongue when Annie had taken in his expression, noticed the small envelope he was grasping. He'd stuffed it into his pocket and stooped to pick up Annie's luggage without acknowledging anything that had just happened.

The Lexus pulled up in front of Dildopolis, the neon pink sign flashing in the summer night boasting that they were 'Op n 24 Ho rs'. Jeff put the car in park and Annie climbed out slowly. She just needed to get up the stairs and back into her apartment and she could scream or throw things or collapse and sleep for a week.

She just needed to get away from Jeff before any of those things happened.

He popped the trunk and Annie bent over her luggage, blinking in the suddenly bright light from the small bulb inside. In the next instant, she felt his large palm settle on her head gently. Standing straight, her eyes flew to Jeff's. He seemed as surprised by the action as she did and immediately pulled his hand away. The end result was something close to a pat on the head. Annie frowned at him before turning back to her luggage resignedly. It could have been worse.

He could have slapped her across the face.

That probably would be worse.

Grasping her largest bag, Annie tugged as hard as she could, pulling it only slightly out of position. She let out a small whimper before clearing her throat in an effort to cover up the noise. It was too late though. Jeff chuckled at her, which caused Annie to frown deeply at him.

"Here," he said in a voice that sounded low to her ears and then he was covering her hand with his much larger one and pulling the suitcase from his trunk easily. Together, they sat it on the asphalt between them and rose again in tandem, eyes meeting in the sulfuric yellow light of the street light overhead.

Jeff's eyes were….what was that expression? Annie felt a tingle shoot up her spine and carefully swallowed down the taste of adrenaline that filled her mouth. She was on the precipice of what she already knew from experience to be a very slippery slope. If he could cause that kind of reaction in her from just a look that she couldn't even define, there was no telling what might happen if he actually tried to charm her in any way.

Not that it was likely at this point. Jeff had been pretty clear. She was a manipulative little kid. He had no real intentions toward her, or if he did, he held little hope for them. The way he'd managed to cut her down, to evaluate the situation so angrily, still made Annie shudder two days later. Every moment they'd had together had been undone by that short tirade.

"Thanks," Annie muttered with a tight smile before turning back to the trunk to retrieve the rest of her bags. She could feel Jeff's eyes on her, putting her nerves as far on edge as they could be in her advanced state of exhaustion. When she had gathered all of her bags in her arms, she reached down to pull at the handle of the wheeled suitcase and turned to make her way toward the building.

"Do you need some help?" he finally chuckled as he watched her struggle.

"No," Annie lied as she glanced over her shoulder at him. "And you don't have to give me a ride in the morning. I'll call Shirley."

"What?" Jeff asked, the humor leaving his voice. "Why?"

Annie expelled all of the breath in her lungs in a frustrated whoosh and finally turned her body fully back toward him. "I just don't want you to feel like you have to."

"I don't feel like I have to," he remarked patiently as he took a step toward her. "I volunteered after I decided to strand you here without your car in the first place."

"I just don't think it's a good idea," she murmured, feeling something nauseating seep into her stomach. She didn't want to talk about any of these issues right now. Annie was hoping against hope that Jeff was just going to drop it and let her go inside to regroup for the evening.

"Why not?" he asked, effectively ignoring every silent plea Annie had given him. She pulled her lower lip into her mouth and chewed on it without speaking. "Annie?" Jeff stepped up to the curb slowly and approached her. She averted her eyes from him quickly, instead staring unfocusedly at the top of his Lexus.

Now?

After everything that had been through, he wanted to have the conversation now? He'd spent how long getting just close enough to her to make her notice only to turn tail and run as fast as he could, and now he wanted to discuss things?

Maybe not. Maybe he really was just asking her why she didn't need him for a ride. But Annie knew Jeff knew her, whether he wanted to or not. Which meant that he knew that answering that question was going to lead to the conversation neither of them were ready for after the lack of sleep and food and hygiene they had been experiencing.

"I'm really tired, Jeff." Annie sighed as quietly as she could manage. "I'll just…I'll see you at school or something." She struggled to turn herself and her luggage back around as quickly as possible, but Jeff was quicker. He was in front of her within seconds, pulling one of her bags from her grasp easily.

"You'll see me in school?" he asked with an edge to his voice. "That's it?" When she looked up at Jeff, he had an expression on his face that she couldn't place in the dim light of the street. Although with him, there was just as good a chance that she wouldn't be able to place it in a hospital room either. "Annie, I think you might see me a couple times before September. Stop being dramatic."

"I'm not," she argued with a frown. "And you don't know that we'll see each other before school starts."

Jeff heaved a giant sigh. "I have asked you not to watch so much ABC Family, you know." Annie rolled her eyes. "You're smarter than this self-inflicted drama." He inclined his head toward her as he stepped closer. "At least you're kind of talking to me now." Annie bit her lip again and watched Jeff's face soften a moment later. "I'll help you get upstairs and then I'll come in the morning and take you to your car." He reached for her suitcase, but Annie jerked away. "What the hell?" he asked in an exhausted tone.

"I don't need you to do things for me," she said stubbornly. She knew that if he came upstairs, things were going to get that much more complicated. He couldn't be in her apartment. Jeff wanted to finish things with her, felt the need to put a lid on whatever had happened between them in Italy. It seemed like a distant memory now, almost as if it was a dream she'd had rather than reality.

Except Annie would assume her dreams would have nicer endings than what was going to happen between the two of them.

"Well, you do in this case." Jeff jerked his head in the direction of the rickety wooden stairs she needed to climb. "You aren't going to be able to make it up their by yourself with everything."

"I made it _down_ with everything," she replied and watched Jeff's face change ever so slightly.

"Why are you acting this way?" Jeff asked.

Annie's mouth dropped open. "Why are you acting like nothing has happened between us?" She could feel the tremble in her jaw and clamped her mouth shut as tightly as she could. He couldn't see her fall apart. Annie needed to get away from him before the exhaustion of everything really hit her and she finally embraced the pain she'd been trying to ignore. "Maybe you can brush everything away like it didn't happen, but I can't Jeff."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not trying to brush anything away, Annie." She swallowed down the sudden burst of unwarranted elation that came out of nowhere at that non-statement. She had to get a grip on things, if just the act of him saying he wasn't trying to ignore her got her this excited. "I'm the one who has been trying to talk to you since we started this discussion, and you keep blowing me off." She could feel the tears start to seep into her eyes and glanced down in the hopes that Jeff wouldn't see.

"Annie."

She shook her head, feeling everything wind up uncomfortably inside of her, twisting her painfully. "There's nothing to talk about," she finally said to him quietly.

"_Annie_."

Jeff tugged the bag back toward him with a force Annie wasn't expecting and she came with it, stumbling slightly. One of his hands reached out to steady her. "You don't get to flounce away now, sorry." There was that strange sense of happiness back in her gut again. "I understand that you're at the end of your whole 'Eat Pray Love' thing and the conclusion is telling me off and then…I don't know…cutting off your hair and becoming a feminist, but we're not done talking about this."

Annie couldn't stop the smile that turned her mouth upward. "Have you ever read that book?"

"I saw part of the movie on television one night," Jeff defended. He watched her for a beat. "You smiled." She bit her lip self-consciously, worrying her brow.

"I know how this works," she said in response to nothing. "You continue to be passive aggressive about any guy that might look in my direction, but refuse to actually make a move on me yourself."

Jeff reared his head back, his expression telling Annie that he clearly thought she was a nutcase. "I'm…pretty sure I've made several moves." She knew she was blushing, but couldn't stop it. There were so many things that she needed to say to him, but starting with the fact that she'd almost allowed herself to get carried away with him that way was not near the top of the list.

"I wanted you to come with me," she stated, another non-sequiter that Annie almost hoped he wouldn't be able to reply to. "It wasn't part of some plan to make you seem like a jerk."

"I know."

"You said I was trying to make you the bad guy," Annie pointed out.

Jeff sighed. "I was…upset."

"With me," she guessed.

"Yes," Jeff conceded and Annie frowned. "Well, not just you."

"Pierce?"

Jeff nodded slowly. "Yes, but…me too."

Annie swallowed. "You're never disappointed in yourself." Jeff shrugged. Something cold settled in her stomach. "You regret it."

"I…what?" He seemed genuinely perplexed by her summation. "What would I have to regret?"

She shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know. I don't want to talk about it." She sighed. "You win."

"I win?" Jeff asked.

"Yes," Annie clarified. "You always win."

"This isn't winning," he replied. "And I don't always win."

"You faked your way into a law firm," she shot back with furrowed brows. "How is that not winning?"

"That's cheating," Jeff corrected. "And I ended up at Greendale, which is definitely not winning."

He still wished he had never ended up at Greendale. Despite his telling his friends that he loved them, in the end if he'd been given the choice, he would choose never to have met any of them at all. The thought shouldn't have broken her heart as much as it did, but Annie felt the crack in her chest immediately. "I'm going to go to bed," she murmured.

"So…." Jeff frowned. "That's it then?"

"Jeff." Annie actually allowed herself to give him a wry smile. "We were together in Italy for a week and we couldn't manage to make anything happen."

"There were a couple other factors involved there, you know."

"The point is," she continued with a shake of her head. "That if nothing happened in the most romantic place in the world, it's not going to happen here."

"Annie."

Annie's entire body sagged and she let out a loud sigh before glancing up at Jeff. He looked almost as exhausted as she felt. "I'm done." She frowned deeply. "You win, okay?" He frowned deeply at her. "I'm… tired of trying to force you into something that you clearly want to avoid." She could feel herself starting to shake with the nerves that were surfacing. Jeff waited for her to continue, his eyes on her in an intense manner. Or at least what felt like an intense manner given her body's reaction to it. "I…" she sighed again. "It wasn't part of my plan to fall for …an insecure thirty-five year-old who faked his degree and seems to disdain _everything _around him at all times." Jeff winced at her words but didn't stop her. Annie could feel everything pushing up into her throat, everything she'd wanted to say to him for the last two days. All of the emotion she'd been trying so hard to avoid, knowing what the end result would be. "And I probably _do_ deserve…" She let out a sigh. "…better than that." His arms crossed over his chest defensively and gave a nod that Annie felt in her toes. Was he upset?

No.

That was just what she wanted to see.

They stood in silence for what felt like a very long time. Annie knew Jeff was staring at her, waiting for her to keep talking. She could feel his eyes on her. There was only one thing she could think of to say.

But it was something she couldn't say.

When she finally worked up the nerve to meet his gaze, Annie felt something unspool in her stomach and before she could stop herself, the words were flying out of her mouth. "I think I'm in love with you." Worry lines appeared on Jeff's face and she knew that it had been the wrong thing to say. The good news was at least now he would cut and run. There was no other option for him. The sensation of needing to throw up was swallowed down again and then she shook her head. "I know that you think that I don't know what I'm talking about because I'm too young to understand these feelings that I have and you think they're not valid feelings because they don't come from a dark cynical _place_ because I'm a positive person and that makes me…naïve and prone to being taken in by older men who are only going to hurt me." She stopped to breathe and was surprised at the way her chest already felt lighter just from what little she'd managed to get out. It was freeing, especially knowing what the outcome would be. It was her chance to get it all off of her chest for once, before he left and never acknowledged any of it again. It could be the exhaustion she was feeling or it could be the understanding that it was probably her last chance to really tell him everything she'd been holding inside, but Annie wanted to say more. "You might have hurt me I guess, but I won't ever know." She sighed and Jeff inhaled in the same beat. "Even if you _do_ feel something for me, not only will you never acknowledge it, but you're actively running away from it. If you're really that desperate to not be with me, why would I want to be with you?" She reached for the bag he was holding again and Jeff allowed it to slip from his grasp. "I guess in the end, I could thank Pierce for really making me realize what I had been too stupid and young to see before."

"What?" he snapped, yanking the bag back toward him again. Annie was unprepared for the movement and stumbled forward into his arms. "You have got to be kidding me. You just…." He stepped back, holding her at arm's length and Annie met his gaze unsurely. "You…." Jeff let out a frustrated groan. "Get in the car."

Annie opened her eyes in alarm. "What?"

"Get in the car now."

"No," she said with a shake of the head. "I'm not getting back in the car, Jeff. I'm home already."

"We're not having this discussion in front of a sex shop and we're not having it in your rat hole of an apartment with your creepy Russian neighbors listening in through the walls."

"They're Greek," Annie informed him.

"Whatever." When she merely stared at him defiantly, Jeff lowered his face to her level and Annie sucked in a breath. "Annie, get in the car."

She could feel the tremble in her jaw and clamped her jaw shut tightly to keep it from being visible to the man right in front of her. "No," she whispered. "I can't."

"Annie."

"You win," she said. "You always win. Whatever fight you want to have right now, any other things you want to yell at me, I just….I can't, okay?"

"I'm not going to yell at you," he explained in a voice that was getting closer and closer to yelling by the second.

"I didn't think you were going to yell at me before either," she countered.

"_You_ got mad at _me_," he reminded her. "You snooped through my things and found something you didn't like and then confronted me about it."

"If I hadn't, I would still be completely in the dark about everything." Annie stomped her foot. "The only reason I know anything about what is going on with you and Pierce is because I found out for myself."

"Annie," he growled. "Get. In. The. Car."

She shook her head. "No." Backing away from him, Annie continued to shake her head. "Please. Let's just drop the whole thing." The fact that he wanted to so effectively put her in her place about everything that had happened between them made her chest ache.

"No, we're not dropping it," he shot back with an edge to his voice.

"Jeff…." She reached for her suitcase again.

"What?"

She let out a deep sigh. "I can be as mad at you as I want to, but that doesn't change the way I-" She cut herself off, knowing that sentence would end badly.

"Doesn't change the way what?" he persisted cruelly.

"I still want to be your friend," Annie said instead of answering his question. She couldn't see a way in which she was ever going to be able to get over her feelings for him if she spent more time with him over the summer. Heck, she'd tried _last_ summer after he'd kissed her and instead had spent three solid months trying to run into him and doodling his name in her journal. This was a million times worse than that. "So I think only seeing each other at school is right."

"No," Jeff decided after a moment of silence.

"No?" Annie echoed.

"Annie, I don't want to have to forcibly put you in my Lexus. But I will." Annie frowned. "And we both know that you live in a neighborhood where no one will even blink at it." She shook her head again and felt a tear finally slip down her cheek. He cocked his head to the side and the look he shot her made her entire stomach flip upside down.

Jeff swallowed.

He licked his lips.

"Please?"


	30. Chapter 30

Jeff shoved his key into the lock on his front door and pushed it open before gesturing for Annie to enter. When her eyes met his unsurely, he rolled his eyes at her. "I'm not going to murder you, Annie." One side of her mouth quirked upward and Jeff felt stupid for the amount of relief the tiny movement gave him. She hesitated only a moment longer before stepping past him, arms crossed over her chest protectively.

"Oh, cool." Jeff's eyes snapped up to take in Chang, sprawled on the couch in his underwear. Jeff dropped his bags onto the floor inside the door. "Hey, Annie. Slumber party?" The former teacher's eyebrows rose. "I'll get the vodka out of the freezer." The diminutive man didn't wait for an answer before he sprang off the couch and scurried to the kitchen. Jeff met Annie's uncertain expression. He shook his head at her and then strode to the kitchen. Chang was on his tiptoes, looking through one of the cupboards. "I know I bought some brownie mix the other day, I just have to find it." Jeff pushed the cupboard door closed firmly. "Hey," Ben said. "What's your problem?"

Without giving it any more thought, Jeff dug into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Chang," he said in a low tone that he hoped wasn't carrying into the next room. "Go stay at the Holiday Inn."

"What?" Ben asked. Then his expression changed. The short man stepped forward and waggled his eyebrows. "You want me to leave so you can nail her?"

Jeff set his jaw. "Ten more seconds and I'm just going to kick you out for good."

Chang raised his hands defensively. "Okay, okay. I know when I'm not wanted."

"That's not true," Jeff answered with a shake of his head. "Now get out." Chang smirked at him before leaving he kitchen.

"Turns out I'm not joining you guys," he heard Ben explain to a silent Annie. "But you kids have a good night."

"Um," Annie replied hesitantly.

Jeff rolled his eyes. He knew what was happening in the next room without even having to look. "Chang, put some pants on," he yelled.

"Thanks buddy," Chang called back and then Annie was hurrying into the safety of the kitchen with a wary look over her shoulder.

"He's just…changing," Annie explained quietly.

Jeff nodded. "I figured."

"You're kicking him out?" she asked.

"Is there really any kind of conversation you would want to have with him here?" Jeff countered with raised eyebrows. He watched Annie avert her eyes for a moment unsurely. "Do…" He narrowed his eyes. "Do you want him to stay?"

"No," she replied immediately and Jeff relaxed. The idea that she might not feel safe alone with him in his apartment was moderately demoralizing. "I just…" She stepped toward him and Jeff clenched his jaw. "He thinks we're going to have sex, doesn't he?" Annie whispered. Jeff exhaled. That was all this nervousness was about? She was worried about what _Chang_ thought?

Really?

"Yes," he answered slowly, trying to read her reaction to the response. She simply nodded to herself, keeping her eyes on his surprisingly clean kitchen floor. Had Chang cleaned his apartment? "If if makes you feel better, I'm having the locks Chang-ed tomorrow."

Annie wrinkled her nose in distaste at his pun. "Why would you do that?"

Jeff raised his eyebrows incredulously at her. "Why would I do that?" he repeated. "You're kidding, right?"

"He just wants to be your friend," she argued and Jeff noticed how much more awake she was than she had been only five minutes ago outside of her apartment. "You could be nicer to him, you know." Annie shot him a disapproving look and Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Would you like me to leave you two alone?" he asked sarcastically. The self-conscious smile that slid onto Annie's face made his chest itch peculiarly. Before she could respond, Ben entered the kitchen again, an overnight bag slung over his small shoulder.

"I'm out," he announced. "See you guys at the hospital tomorrow?"

"You're going?" Jeff asked, furrowing his brows.

Chang's jaw dropped. "I care about Pierce," he defended. "Plus, he still has some of my stuff." He turned to walk away. "Next time he says he wants to play 'Zelda', I'm telling him to suck it."

"No hookers, no blow," Jeff called after his roommate.

"Not making any promises," Ben yelled back and then he was gone.

"I gave that man my credit card," he stated more to himself than anyone. The internal logic of that was non-existent.

Annie shrugged. "He probably would have made us play truth or dare anyway."

"I can only imagine how awkward things would have gotten when he tried to freeze my bra," Jeff replied and was rewarded with a genuine smile on her face. The moment stretched out between them, tension filling the space quickly. But for once, there wasn't an edge of uneasiness or anger or sadness wound up in it.

"So…" she murmured softly. "Rich texted me. He needs to talk to me about Camilla."

Jeff's eyebrows rose, weighing his options quickly. "Um, I think I know what he needs to tell you." Annie studied him with wide eyes, asking him a question without giving it voice. "Camilla…"

"Works for Pierce?" she filled in when Jeff didn't finish his sentence. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. "I mean…" Annie rolled her eyes. "I figured there was something going on there, and she did seem to be trying to keep us from…" She waved her hand toward Jeff and then back to herself as she trailed off, leaving the end of her sentence hanging.

What would the end of the sentence have been anyway?

Jeff still wasn't totally sure.

"She was trying to keep anything from happening between us," Jeff agreed as he stepped over to the fridge and pulled out a beer. He opened it and took a long drink, his eyes on Annie the entire time. She seemed to be trying to work something through in her head, suddenly in her own little world. "She isn't an employee of Hawthorne Inc," he continued, "but they were working together to screw me."

Annie frowned. "How do you know this?"

"I sat in Pierce's hospital room for an hour, listening to him babble about whatever he wanted to in order to get the information I needed from him." Jeff raised his eyebrows meaningfully.

Annie pursed her lips in thought and Jeff swallowed over the lump in his throat. What he really wanted, the impulse he'd been ignoring since he'd left Pierce's room was to pull her to him and kiss her. "How…did that go?" she asked, jerking Jeff from his own thoughts.

"Pierce is out of his mind," he replied with furrowed brows. He took another drink from his beer bottle. "But…he…." Jeff shrugged his shoulders, gaining a questioning expression from the woman in his kitchen. "He's…surprisingly deep."

Annie frowned and pulled her sleeves over her hands again before shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Really?" she asked uncertainly. Then something miraculous happened.

She smiled at him.

"And pretty smart, it turns out." Jeff finished his beer in three more swallows. "He knows how to get results when he wants them."

"Like what?" she asked, picking up his hint quickly.

"He wanted to keep me from you," he answered more honestly than he'd meant to. There was a silence that filled the kitchen in the next instant. Well, if they were going to do this, there was no reason not to just go for it. He'd already brought her to his apartment practically against her will.

Annie swallowed and cleared her throat. "Well, he… succeeded."

Jeff bit back the response that sprang to his mind right away. He wanted to deny it, argue the point. He exhaled loudly. "I…yes. He did." Crossing his arms over his chest, Jeff leaned back against the counter. "Turns out that when you have a staff full of people at your disposal, you can accomplish…a lot."

The brunette frowned to herself, unable to meet his eye. Without saying another word, Annie turned and made her way back to the living room. Jeff watched her go, trying to keep his eyes from traveling down her form and failing. Belatedly remembering what was happening, he shook himself and ambled after her. Annie dropped to the cushions of the sofa gently, her face still showing her confusion at the entire thing. Weighing his options quickly, he moved forward and sat down on the coffee table. When their knees brushed, Annie glanced up at him, that wrinkle between her eyebrows prevalent again.

"Everyone was in on this bet?" she finally asked quietly.

"It wasn't a bet," Jeff argued with a roll of his eyes.

Annie rolled her eyes back at him. "Fine. What was it then, Jeff?"

"Look, it wasn't like he was paying me thousands of dollars not to sleep with you. He's not your reverse pimp." He shook his head.

Annie bit her lip. "Then what was the whole thing about?"

"Pierce knew why I needed the plane ticket and he wanted me to admit it."

"Okay," she said slowly.

"And when I wouldn't, he tried to force me into action," he continued.

"Why did you tell him you needed the ticket?" Annie asked with a furrowed brow.

Jeff tightened his jaw. "I told him that I didn't trust Rich and needed to protect you from him." He averted his eyes immediately when she looked at him, not trusting what his reaction would be to her expression.

"You were lying?" she guessed.

"Yes," he admitted.

She shifted her weight slightly toward him and opened her mouth soundlessly before thinking better of it and snapping it shut again. "Okay, so everyone was in on the…non…bet?"

Jeff sighed. "Not everyone, but most of them."

"Camilla?"

"Yes."

Annie's eyes widened. "Sergio?"

"Yes." He watched as she bit her lip nervously, trying to work the next question out.

"Rich?" she asked softly.

Jeff exhaled. "I wish I could blame him for this, but no." He crossed his arms over his chest and inclined his head toward her. "He had nothing to do with any of this. He was just a…stupid, overly optimistic pawn."

"So," Annie tilted her head to the side in thought. "Camilla works for Pierce too?"

"Not quite," he answered. Now that he was here, Jeff really wasn't sure how to have this conversation with her. She wasn't ready for this discussion. He should have just let her go to bed. He could be on his second glass of scotch already if he'd let her have her way. There was nothing that he had to say to her that couldn't wait.

"You're being evasive," Annie pointed out when he didn't elaborate immediately on the connection between Camilla and Pierce.

Jeff rolled his eyes. "I'm not being evasive."

"Really," Annie said in a skeptical voice. "You're being honest with me right now?"

"Geez, Annie," Jeff groaned. He stared up at the ceiling in frustration. "I'm not trying to keep anything from you."

"Well, that's something new and different." She sat back against his cushions. Jeff clenched his jaw tightly, swallowing down the sarcastic response he wanted to give to her. Calling her out on her passive aggressive female bullshit right now would start them in the opposite direction of where they needed to go.

"Camilla tried to use Sergio," he explained when he thought he'd gotten a better grasp of his irritation toward the woman he was talking to.

"He really does work for her?" Annie asked.

"Yes," Jeff replied. "And I would bet she was dangling his job over his head."

Annie rubbed her eyes tiredly and the surge of affection he felt for her in the moment made him instinctively lean toward her. Catching himself, Jeff tried to pass it off as simply shifting his weight. "So, Camilla isn't working for Pierce." She frowned. "Then why would she care about any of the deal you made with him?"

Jeff cleared his throat. "Camilla?" he said with raised eyebrows. "Is Pierce's ex-wife." Her eyes were suddenly bigger than Jeff had ever seen them. She looked away from him, in her own world again. He sat watching her work through the information he had given her. Annie started shaking her head then, arguing with herself. "Annie?" Jeff said hesitantly.

"You brought me here to tell me Camilla and Pierce used to be married?" she questioned, meeting his concerned gaze. Jeff reared his head back, surprised at the inquiry.

"I brought you…" Jeff let out a frustrated sigh. "No, I….well, yes." He reached a hand up to run through his hair. "That was part of it, I guess."

"What was the rest of it?" Annie asked, her voice almost endearingly childlike.

What had he been thinking? How had this seemed like a good idea? She was just sitting there, asking him questions he couldn't answer. "Camilla…" Jeff sighed. "Camilla was trying to make things difficult for me." He watched Annie nod to herself. "But if I'd been putting in as much effort as I probably should have, it wouldn't have mattered."

Annie bit her lip, but Jeff could see her visibly soften in the dim light of his living room. "Yeah?" she murmured.

"Yeah," Jeff agreed. Her jaw began to quiver and he watched her try to get it under control before sliding across to seat himself on the couch next to her, his knee pressing against her thigh. Annie stiffened next to him and turned her head to look at him. The trepidation in her eyes made Jeff's chest twist painfully. "I knew that…" He broke off with a grimace and Annie huffed slightly. "I couldn't have handled you coming home from Italy in a relationship with Rich."

Her mouth opened wordlessly and then closed again several times in quick succession. "So." Annie finally managed to get out with a slow nod of her head. "It _was _about hating Rich."

Jeff winced. "Yes. Well, kind of." He tried to ignore the instincts that were shooting through his head rapidly.

"Jeff," Annie whined and Jeff couldn't stop himself from grinning at that. She turned herself toward him completely then, letting their knees press against each other. Jeff took in the movement with wide eyes. "Can you just give me an honest straight answer for once?" She huffed again, her face clearly distraught.

"I'm trying," he snapped emphatically. "This isn't that easy for me you know, Annie."

"What isn't?" she persisted. "What are you trying to say? Why did you bring me here, Jeff?"

"The idea of you with anyone else makes me crazy," he shot back without thinking. Annie made a strangled noise in the back of her throat and Jeff grimaced again.

Her eyes were searching his, almost pleading with him to say what she wanted to hear. "Why?" she asked softly.

He brought a hand up to rub his forehead. He'd asked for every inch of this. "Because I don't want you to have feelings for anyone but me." Beyond the blinding panic that was causing his entire brain to cry out, there was a carefree feeling that was taking hold of him. It actually felt good to be telling her.

Not terrifying, like he'd assumed.

Interesting.

"That's really selfish, Jeff." He shook himself out of his own thoughts to focus on the woman in front of him. She was giving him a disapproving look.

Jeff smiled at her sarcastically. "That's… kind of _me_, Annie." He raised his eyebrows meaningfully.

She frowned down at her hands. "Why did you start sleeping with Britta?" she asked quietly.

What?

"Uh," Jeff leaned away from her, completely confused by the sudden change of direction. "What?"

"Britta," Annie said in a more sure tone. "Why did you guys start sleeping together?"

Jeff let out a loud sigh. "Annie," he groaned. "I'm not talking about this."

"Because you're still in love with her?"

His head was going to explode. He was sure of it. That was the only explanation for the pounding feeling that was rocketing between his temples. "I-_no_," he insisted, looking at her incredulously. "Annie, I'm _not talking _about this."

"Why not?" she asked pitifully.

"Because it's none of your business," Jeff shot back angrily. The look on her face made his chest ache and a moment later he regretted having said it.

Annie bit her lip in concentration. "Okay."

Jeff grumbled to himself. He was ruining this before he'd even gotten to the point of the entire thing. He shouldn't give in to her big sad eyes and her quivering lip. He knew better than that. He…

Damnit.

"I…had no reason not to," he said slowly, feeling the weight of each carefully chosen word on his tongue.

Annie looked up at him in disgust. "That's a _terrible_ reason to sleep with someone," she replied in a judgmental tone. "Did…did you love her?"

"What?" Jeff asked, hearing his own voice going into his higher register. "No. Annie-"

"Because you said you loved her," she continued as if he hadn't answered her at all.

He narrowed his eyes in response. "And you said you thought I was gross."

"Because that was what you wanted to hear," Annie defended.

"Why are we arguing about Britta?" Jeff demanded.

She shook her head. "Do you have any idea what it was like for me to find out that you were sleeping with her the whole year?"

Shit.

How did she manage to make him feel so many different kinds of crappy at once? It was pretty impressive really. The sheer amount of power she had over him was dizzying when it was laid out in front of him like this. Jeff cleared his throat, trying to think of an answer he could give her that they could both live with. "I'm sorry," was what he finally landed on after several seconds of awkward silence.

"I…" Annie tucked her hair behind her ears. "I don't want you to have feelings for anyone but me either."

The nausea that flooded into his stomach surprised him in its intensity. She was right here, inches away from him and telling him she loved him. Again. Well, basically. She had said it already. It had been only ten minutes ago. Things couldn't have changed that drastically since then, despite how much of a jerk he was currently being. She deserved to know what he'd been holding inside of him for too long.

"I…I don't, Annie."

She stilled next to him, letting the words soak into her consciousness. "You," she turned toward him quickly then with eyes full of shock. "Really?" she whispered hopefully and Jeff couldn't stop the smile that came over his face.

"Yeah," he replied honestly. "I…" He exhaled loudly through his mouth and rubbed his forehead, trying to soothe his headache. "Annie, after you…gave me that plane ticket, I kind of freaked out." She sighed sadly. "I just…you said 'love'."

"Yeah," she murmured quietly. "Sorry," she added self-consciously.

"No," Jeff argued. "That wasn't what I…" He worked his jaw back and forth before trying again. "You don't have to apologize for it, Annie. I just…it's a big word." Jeff watched her closely, waiting for any tiny cue from the woman on the couch with him. "And I knew that…" He paused, trying to think of the best way to phrase it. "…that I couldn't say it back if I didn't mean it."

Annie visibly deflated, her face crumpling for the barest of moments before recovering and allowing a mask of indifference to show up in its place. "Oh," she said sadly. "Okay."

"You don't…." Jeff groaned, giving into irritation. "I was sure I didn't…I…"

"I _get_ it," Annie snapped quietly.

"No, you don't." Jeff edged himself closer to her on the couch and felt Annie flinch. "I…okay." Jeff resisted the urge to rise from the couch in order to more effectively make his point. "So, you may have noticed that I tend to…." He raised his eyebrows. "…compartmentalize everything in my life."

"Yeah, Jeff." She rolled her eyes. "I think everyone has noticed that."

"Well, when I met you, I…" He exhaled. "I made a box for all of my 'Annie' things and put it in the back of my head."

"Okay," Annie answered uncertainly.

Jeff rolled his eyes at her. "And I put it next to my 'Shirley' box and my 'Abed' box, and the boxes I have for everyone else." Annie's face took on an expression of confusion and Jeff felt almost comforted by it. At least she was listening to him.

Now he just needed to give her a reason not to regret it.

"The way I felt about you, it was friendly, paternal. Distant." She nodded. "And that was the way I liked it. But then, you…it was like you were just…there more often."

"Where?" she asked with a somber face.

"Right next to me," Jeff answered without thinking. "In my head. I was starting to have all of these different…feelings for you, I guess." He shook his head, more to himself than to her. "And so I made a box for my protective feelings for you and one for my affectionate feelings toward you and one for my…" He held her steady gaze. "For my desire for you." Jeff couldn't have missed her sudden sharp intake of air even if he'd wanted to.

Although wanting to miss that would be stupid.

"Ever since I kissed you last spring at that dance and probably since before that, I have been trying to keep myself away." He paused, running over his words carefully. "I thought I needed to hold you at arm's length and I thought…I thought I was doing it to protect you. "

"But you were doing it to protect yourself," Annie noted with a nod of her head.

How the hell did she know him so well?

Jeff nodded in agreement of that assessment. "Yeah," he muttered a moment later. "I tried to use Rich to get past it and…" He sighed. "And at times, I used Britta to get past it. But I thought it was a crush that you were going to get over and…and I knew how unlikely it was that you could _really_ care about me, and….it made me not want to care about you."

"Okay," she said after a beat of silence.

"But the problem with that," Jeff continued, feeding off of her reaction. "The problem with that is that none of it helped. Or _changed_ anything." Jeff cleared his throat, trying to buy himself some time. "Annie, spending time with you usually means pulling my feelings out one at a time and then putting them away before I use the next one." She was frowning into space again. "But the problem with that is…I didn't realize what it would mean to be around you for such…long periods of time, I guess." He watched as she lifted her chin in anticipated defiance. "And what happened was that I had to learn how to access more than one feeling at a time and…" He tilted his head toward her, trying to draw in her gaze. When she met his eyes, there was such a fragile insecurity there that Jeff had to lean back to keep from closing the gap between them and kissing her. "When I started leaving all of those boxes open to each other and letting everything get all jumbled up in my brain, I…"

What had happened? What did you get when you added affection and admiration and protectiveness and desire together?

Love.

He _loved_ her.

Didn't he?

Jeff had no idea how it had actually happened, but he was pretty sure of the definition for the warm feeling that was flooding through his chest. "Why did you come to Italy?" Annie asked him with a quiet persistence.

"Because," he responded, his agitation growing slightly. "Because that's what…you're supposed to do."

"What I'm supposed to do?" Annie asked.

Jeff sighed. "No," he clarified. "It was….that's what the guys do in the movies, Annie. They rush to the woman they…" He could feel it working its way up his throat, the words he suddenly couldn't stop thinking. No, he had to keep it inside. This occasion called for the end all be all of classic Winger speeches. There was no way he could just- "I love you," he murmured, his brain catching up with his mouth a fraction of a second too late. "I mean, at least I _think_ I do."

"Right," Annie said after a beat of silence. "Okay then." Her eyes were wide, but she wouldn't meet his gaze, instead focusing on something just south of his collarbone and her voice had taken on a breathless quality that reminded him fleetingly of a diorama explosion and a yellow cardigan under his fingers.

"Okay?" he repeated as he narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Really?"

"Do you mean it?" she asked guardedly.

Jeff resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the younger woman. "Believe me, Annie. I would not say it if I didn't mean it."

"Really?" she countered. "How many girls have you said it to before?"

Shit.

Point-Edison.

Jeff shook his head. "That's not important." The reaction he was expecting, the lower lip quiver move that she loved to use on him, didn't appear. Instead, Annie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Jeff considered his next words carefully. "I wouldn't say it to _you _unless I meant it."

"Or think you meant it," Annie corrected.

He exhaled. "I mean it."

"Is this…" Annie eyed him suspiciously. "Is this some kind of ego trip?"

"What?" Jeff asked incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm a twenty year-old woman who admittedly has feelings for you," she pointed out. "That is a pretty powerful aphrodisiac for some men, Jeff."

He narrowed his eyes at the woman in front of him. "Are you high?" he asked and Annie rolled her eyes at him. "Seriously, what is going on? You spend how much time and energy trying to get me to tell you I love you and now I say it and you don't believe me?"

Annie's jaw dropped. "I have _not_ been trying to coerce you into telling me you love me, Jeff."

"Really?" Jeff challenged her. "With the constant…face and the eyes and the…lips?" he asked and then furrowed his brow.

That wasn't the most compelling argument.

"My lips?" Annie whispered in that same breathless tone and then she was slamming into him with far more force than he would have expected from her. Her mouth landed firmly against his a moment before her hands fisted in his shirt and pulled him closer to her. It took Jeff only a fraction of a second to respond, opening his mouth and allowing his tongue to slide against her lips. She made a noise that vibrated through him and he groaned in response. Annie didn't waste any more time, climbing onto his lap with a frenzy that Jeff felt in his groin.

They were at the end of a two-day travel nightmare that had ended with him getting a heart to heart from _Pierce _of all people. And now, for some reason Jeff couldn't explain, he was about to have sex with Annie on his couch?

"Annie," he murmured, pulling away from her. She tried to swoop forward again, but Jeff held her at arm's length. "No, hold on a second."

"What?" she pouted.

Jeff mentally kicked himself. "I think we need to stop."

"Why?" With every passing moment, she seemed more and more like a little kid. It would be troubling if it wasn't so adorable.

"We…I mean we can't do this here. Chang _sleeps _here." Jeff sighed. "And I don't know that he always wears underwear."

Slowly, Annie practically slithered from his lap and back to her former spot. "So," she surmised, trying to swallow down the beginnings of a smile. "This isn't about me being some kind of young hot girl?"

Jeff couldn't stop the grin that came to his face. "Annie," He let his eyes travel down her form, lingering for only a beat too long. "You haven't showered in two days, your hair is matted down against your head, there is a mustard stain on your hoodie." Jeff raised one eyebrow. "You have a patch of your own _drool _dried onto your cheek," he gestured to the spot he was referring to. "And your breath tastes like stale Cool Ranch Doritos." He licked his lips to illustrate his point and took a deep breath. "I must really mean it. Otherwise, you would be kind of grossing me out right now."

She brought her hands up to cover her face, clearly embarrassed. Jeff let out a chuckle that made him feel better than he had in days. "Well, you're no bed of roses right now either." Annie was trying too hard to sound condescending, but settled somewhat closer to 'childish'. "You look like crap, too."

"I need a new moisturizer," he replied with a grin that she returned slowly before frowning to herself again. She regarded him for in silence. "What is it, Annie?" he asked.

She worked her jaw. "Is this about Pierce?"

Jeff wrinkled his nose. "I don't what you've heard about me, Annie. But that is not how I…." He trailed off as soon as he succeeded in getting a smile from her. "What do you mean, is it about Pierce?"

"What happened with this whole…non-bet?"

"Well," he answered before clearing his throat. "He decided that I didn't need to repay him." Jeff shrugged one shoulder at the surprised expression on Annie's face.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah."

She licked her lips and Jeff started running over Seahawks wide receivers in alphabetical order. "So, this isn't like 'Pierce gave the okay so now I we can have sex'?"

"Annie, I hate to point this out." He raised his eyebrows. "But I'm the one who just stopped the sex."

She frowned. "You don't know that I was thinking of having sex with you, you know."

"Really?" he questioned dryly. "You weren't?"

The color that still managed to show up on his cheeks after everything they'd discussed made Jeff grin. "I think that is irrelevant," she finally answered in that breathless tone again.

His grin grew exponentially. "That's what I thought."

"So, this wasn't about beating Pierce?" Annie asked quietly after a moment of silence.

He shook his head. "Just an added bonus."

"Jeff," Annie admonished crossly.

"_Annie_," Jeff shot back in a mock-Annie tone, earning a smile from her. Now that he had done it, all he wanted to do was figure out other ways to put that look on her face.

"I just wanted to make sure you were doing this for the right reasons," she explained and began to twist her fingers together in front of her.

Was she still nervous after everything too?

"Doing what?" he asked, confused. What the hell were they talking about now? She raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Loving you?" Jeff finally guessed and got a short nod in response. "Annie, what would be the wrong reasons to love you?" She shrugged and fidgeted on her cushion. He could tell she wanted to speak, but was trying to organize her thoughts. "Annie?" he pressed.

"Because you don't want to keep fighting with me?" Annie jumped in. "Because you don't want all of our friends to be mad at you, since somehow they all seem to know what is going on with us?" Jeff resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her. "Because you know you can't avoid me and you don't want to cause problems for the group in the fall?"

"You don't think this is going to cause some problems?" Jeff questioned with wide eyes and he gestured between them. "Being together is going to be _three-hundred _times harder than not, Annie. We'll have Pierce trying to give us his copy of the Kama Sutra and Shirley advising us to wait until marriage." He didn't miss the way her expression changed in that moment, but didn't draw attention to it. "And we'd have Chang spying on us all the time." He took a deep breath. "Besides, I could avoid you if I really wanted to, you know." The change in her demeanor was instantaneous.

Shit.

He'd just meant for it to be a clever and sarcastic. Of course he wouldn't avoid her. But now he had set a precedent for himself. "Annie." He reached out to touch her cheek lightly with one finger. She flinched ever so slightly before lifting her eyes to meet his. "I'm sorry," he said, hoping against what he already knew about her that she would understand what he was referring to. Miraculously, she nodded. "I shouldn't have done it." It was the first time he'd ever openly acknowledged the blatant way he'd ignored her the previous summer, screening her calls and flat-out pretending he hadn't seen her that one time at Starbucks. "That wasn't cool."

"No," Annie agreed. "But it was probably better that you did handle it that way." She smiled self-consciously. "Anything else I would have misread. I mean, I pretty much didn't even realize what you were doing until months later as it was." She swallowed. "I told Britta I only kissed you to see if I could."

"Yeah," he answered in a low voice that made Annie shiver involuntarily.

"I was lying."

Jeff cleared his throat, trying to ignore the way she was squirming next to him. "Yeah," he repeated, trying to keep the conversation on track. "Annie, I didn't know what to do and I didn't know how to handle you after we…."

"Kissed?"

"Yeah," he agreed again. "I mean, I knew you had a crush on me-"

"Come _on_," she cut him off with more attitude than she'd exhibited since they'd gotten to his apartment. "Jeff, that was not one-sided."

He bit back a grin. "I know," he conceded, feeling a prickle of pride for Annie. She was being so formidable, not letting anything slide. "But you were a teenager," he defended. "What was I supposed to do?"

Annie eyed his suspiciously. "So, now that I'm twenty, everything is fine?"

"No," Jeff responded with a shake of his head. "But I'm…" He stopped to clear his throat again. He was what?

"You're what?" she echoed his brain.

Jeff shrugged. "I'm tired of staying away. I've tried to make sure this didn't happen and it didn't do any good." This amount of honesty was liberating. All the things he was feeling, had been feeling for how long? And now he was able to just say them out loud without worrying about her having tricked him, the way others had before her?

"Why?" Annie asked softly.

"Because," Jeff continued, feeling like he was on a roll now. He could finally tell her everything and more importantly, he actually…_wanted _to. "Annie, the more time we spend together, the sooner you'll realize that there isn't some…deeper level to me." He shrugged. "I don't care about the environment or equality of the sexes." He raised his eyebrows. "Deep down, there isn't _really_ a deep down here."

She regarded him in silence that Jeff felt compelled to fill before giving him a small smile. "Jeff, do you really think I don't know you by now?"

Wow.

It was true.

She knew him, _really _knew him and she still liked him. No, even better than that, she loved him. She'd said so. Had this ever happened before? The warmth that flooded into his chest was overwhelming in its sudden onslaught and intensity. He could feel it bubbling up into his throat. He was going to…

"I love you," he repeated, not satisfied with the way it sounded rolling off of his tongue. It sounded fake to him, like the way he'd said it to women in the past, women he hadn't loved at all. None of that seemed to matter to Annie, however. She beamed at him and then was pushing toward him to kiss him. He caught her easily this time as she clambored onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him. Jeff kissed her slowly, savoring the fact that he was just allowed to do this now and no one was going to try to stop him or use psychological torture on him afterward for it. One of her small hands slid down his chest and came to rest on his upper thigh and Jeff jumped, causing Annie to give a light chuckle. Cursing his sudden morals, Jeff pushed her away gently once more. The hurt look on Annie's face almost made him lean forward again, but he gritted his teeth and slid away from her. "We shouldn't do this now," he murmured and Annie nodded.

"Okay?" she replied.

He inclined his head. "Is it?"

She nodded again before stilling. "I just…I really want to."

Jeff closed his eyes. "Believe me, so do I." The response garnered a small grin from Annie. "But we're both half-asleep and unshowered and…" She pursed her lips and nodded again. "And when we do this, I have every intention of seducing you, Annie."

The flush the stained her cheeks was immediate and very satisfying to Jeff's ego. "Yeah?" she breathed out.

He nodded this time. "Oh yeah." The idea of sweeping her off her feet was too much fun to squander their first time on his couch with the apartment still smelling faintly of Chang's cabbage experiment. "I think for right now, you should get some sleep."

Annie bit her lower lip. "I…I don't want to go home."

Jeff's mouth quirked up on one side. "You were either really out of it earlier or really mad at me." He climbed off the couch, making a noise that should have been coming out of someone twice his age. He was just going to blame it on the mental and physical exhaustion he'd endured recently. That reasoning didn't stop Annie from giggling though. He shot her a dirty look before making his way over to the door, where he'd dropped her bag when they'd entered the apartment. He lifted it toward her and Annie's eyes widened.

"You…you planned on me staying here the whole time?" she questioned.

He shrugged. "Just wanted to be ready in case."

"You planned on me staying the whole time?" she repeated, wanting a different answer.

Wanting an answer that was somewhat closer to the truth. "Yes," Jeff admitted and got a wide grin in response that made his confession totally worth it. "I did."

Annie rose from the couch and approached him, letting her fingers wrap around the handle next to his own. "Okay," she agreed lightly. "So, where am I sleeping?"

"My bed," Jeff nodded his head toward his room and Annie's eyes widened. "No, I'm not going to…" He stopped and tried again. "I'll take the couch."

The pout that graced her lips was cuter than it should have been. "You don't trust me?"

"Well, no." She rolled her eyes at him before giving him a tiny smile. "But it's mostly about not trusting myself."

"Yeah?" Annie whispered.

"Yeah," Jeff confirmed with another nod.

Her breathing picked up in the next moment and Jeff decided to take full credit for it. "Okay," she finally said after she'd gotten a hold of herself again. "So, I'll sleep in your bed then."

No, don't think about it.

Do not think about it.

If she sensed cracking, she'd attack.

"Yeah," he agreed in a voice that sounded forced and strangled to his own ears. Hopefully, that voice was just in his head.

"You okay, Jeff?"

Shit.

She was _batting her eyelashes _at him, for crying out loud.

"Yeah," Jeff answered with a firmness he didn't really feel. That was okay though. He needed to be firm on this subject. He couldn't have sex with her.

What?

It was like the world was upside down or something.

"Go get ready for bed, Annie."

She bit her lip. "Okay," she conceded before taking the bag from him and making her way to his bedroom, only glancing back once to see if he was watching. Jeff didn't move or breathe again until he heard the lock engage.

Okay.

This wasn't so bad.

No, it was great. Of course it was great. Compared to where they had been since they had met, they were fantastic. Now Jeff just needed to get through the entire night without thinking about Annie in his bed by herself, wanting him. But for some reason, he'd decided that he didn't want to rush into anything with her now? After everything they'd already been through? Hell, they'd almost done this exact thing only two days ago. Or was it three now? Jeff glanced as his clock. It was almost ten o'clock, but he wasn't sure what day it was.

He definitely needed to stop thinking about the fact that she was talking off her clothes only twenty feet away from him and sliding under his covers. Despite the fact that she had been tired for the last day straight, Annie had somehow perked right up at the thought of having sex with him. She'd been squirming. Jeff had seen that enough times to know what it meant.

No.

He seriously needed to stop thinking about this.

Think about the dean.

The instant he pictured the dean, Jeff felt himself relax. It was going to take more than that to undo the damage he'd already done, but this was a start at least. He could think about the dean and Al Roker and Kate Goselin.

Yeah.

Great.

Jeff walked back over to his own bag to retrieve his toothbrush and face wash before going into the kitchen to use them. He did feel at least a little better. He would feel a lot better with a shower, but there was no way he could knock on his door and traipse through his bedroom to his bathroom now. Just the sight of her was liable to set him off, and he knew that doing anything with her now was not a good idea. No, he needed to actually take her out on a date and romance her at least a little.

He needed to make it as different from Britta as possible.

Re-entering the living room and flipping the lights off, Jeff began to undress, keeping his eyes fixed on the closed bedroom door the entire time. Should it open, he would have to react quickly. Once he'd stripped off his jeans and shirt, he laid down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. Now he just needed to manage to get to sleep. The concept didn't seem that doable considering the woman in his bed, but there wasn't anything he could do about it.

Well, there was one thing he could do about it, but it was not an option he was going to think about.

Tucking one arm behind his head, Jeff closed his eyes and tried to relax. It just required not thinking about Annie or what Chang had done on the couch he was now going to sleep on or the reaction of anyone in the study group when they found out about he and Annie. Maybe they could keep it between the two of them? Just for a while. Just long enough to really get to enjoy it before they had Abed watching their every move and commenting on it or Britta rolling her eyes in disgust.

He heard a noise in the distance, but couldn't concentrate on it enough to figure out what it was. And he didn't think he could open his eyes if he'd wanted to. Was he asleep right now? Jeff couldn't tell. He was sure that it couldn't be that easy, despite the exhaustion he'd felt since they'd gotten off the plane earlier that evening.

"Jeff," he heard someone call distantly, softly. "Are you asleep?" What seemed like a moment later, Jeff felt something soft and warm and wet rub up against his thigh and he jumped, his eyes flying open in surprise. Annie stood staring down at him, her hair wet from an apparent shower.

She was wearing a white dress shirt.

And nothing else.

"Jeff, I'm ready for you to seduce me now."


	31. Chapter 31

Why had she thought this was a good idea?

Standing under the spray in Jeff's oversized shower, it had seemed like something that couldn't fail. Annie had envisioned how perfectly it could work as she'd washed herself carefully from head to toe, making sure every last inch of her was clean and ready for him. But now, in the non-existent light of his living room with her knee pressed up against his naked thigh, she was seeing everything that could go wrong.

What if he still rejected her?

Oh.

She hadn't thought about that. It was definitely a possibility. What was she doing? Putting herself out there and relying on other people had never once been something she could do. She had however decided that the perfect place to start was throwing herself at a man who was not easily accessible to begin with?

Good choice.

Annie bit her lip nervously and let one hand drift across the front of the expensive white shirt she swiped from his closet in a moment of recklessness. What if he yelled at her for taking his shirt and getting it all wet and-

"Annie."

The voice commanded all of her attention instantly and when their eyes met in the dark, it wasn't anger or confusion or revulsion she saw in his expression. Jeff slowly sat up. He stared at her in silence for several seconds before allowing his lips to curve upwards slightly. "You planned your own seduction?"

The idea was ludicrous. Annie would never do something like that. She'd merely taken it upon herself to be ready for any kind of sexual situation involving them and then woken him up to tell him she was in fact ready to have…

Oh.

She _had_ planned her own seduction.

Who did that kind of thing?

Control freaks, that's who.

Annie stared down at him uncertainly, waiting for some kind of response from him. What he did in the next moment however, was not what she wanted or expected at all. He…laughed. Jeff let out a deep sleep-covered chuckle, closing his eyes for a moment. She could feel the pout forming on her own mouth. She knew the plan had its crazy elements, but Annie didn't see how it was so funny. "Jeff," she whispered and in the next instant, he reached up and pulled her down next to him sloppily. She let out a surprised squeak as she landed, leg draped over him, on the couch at his side. She repeated his name again and was rewarded with a sleepy grin from him.

"You really like me," he murmured with a knowing smile and Annie's mouth dropped open in soundless protest.

"Jeff," she whined and Jeff chuckled again. "I was trying to…" She had been trying so hard for so long to show him that she was a grown up and could handle whatever kind of grown up things he wanted to do with her. Or to her. "Never mind," Annie finished lamely and ran her finger across the flat surface of the bottom button on the stolen shirt she was wearing.

"Annie," Jeff tried again, his face turned toward her with a hint of a smile still present. "You do know that it worked, right?" She frowned at him confusedly. "I mean…you're on the couch."

She sighed. "Yeah, but we're not doing anything."

"Patience," he muttered as he drew his eyes down the white expanse of bare thigh he had pressed against him. One long finger reached out to brush lightly at the flesh there and Annie's breath hitched in her throat. "We have time, you know." Annie watched as his eyes met hers again. "Did you really think I was going to let you control this?" She couldn't help the grin that plastered itself on her face as Jeff leaned over toward her…

And picked up the remote control to flip on the television before settling back against the couch cushions. Annie made a strangled noise of anger and Jeff ignored her, choosing instead to focus on the 'Bewitched' episode that was on the screen in front of them. "This is the one where Tabitha can play the piano." Annie raised an eyebrow in his direction and Jeff frowned. "Shut up, they used to show reruns after school."

She sighed and relaxed against him. He was right. He wanted to control it, and she would try her hardest to let him control the speed with which they worked their way toward the inevitable. But it was easier said than done.

Annie _loved_ control.

Her eyes drifted shut for a moment, keeping a concerted effort to continue listening to the laugh track of the classic sitcom Jeff had settled on. She would just rest for a minute. He wanted control, after all. The finger was back suddenly, committing much more to its previous mission this time. That is, if in fact the mission was to make her slightly crazy. Annie's eyes snapped open and locked on the path Jeff's finger was currently taking, slowly grazing up and down her thigh. It would travel as high as the hemline of her shirt before sliding back in the opposite direction again, never stopping in any spot it touched. Annie was transfixed by it, watching the way it seemed to chart a slightly different course upward every time. She slipped her tongue out to wet her suddenly dry lips and heard a light chuckle from next to her.

Jeff.

Right.

The man actually controlling the finger.

She met his gaze and was relieved to find him watching her instead of Elizabeth Montgomery. There was a quiet intensity to him that she couldn't remember having seen before, even the other morning as he'd stripped off her clothes. It was something that wasn't born of lust somehow, seemed deeper than that.

"Hey," he whispered. "Hi," Annie answered and could detect the breathlessness of her tone. She cringed, but Jeff didn't acknowledge it. Instead, he laid his palm flat down on the thigh he'd been teasing for several minutes and ran it up and then down again. "Jeff," Annie whispered.

"Hmm?"

She wanted to rip his hand away and pull him on top of her. This wasn't fair. There was no way he'd made any of those other girls wait. Annie knew he hadn't made Britta crazy just to prove that he could.

It wasn't fair at all.

"Jeff," she tried again, not wanting to lend voice to her request.

Jeff inhaled slowly. "This is not being patient, Annie." She couldn't stop the irritated noise that escaped her throat and a moment later felt his hot breath against her neck as he leaned forward to whisper something into her ear. "We have all night, sweetheart." The rush of heat that flowed through her at his words was almost startling in its strength. Okay, so he knew what he was doing. This wasn't a surprise, was it? How many women had he-

No, that was a bad train of thought to climb onto. It was different now. It had to be.

Right?

Whatever came before this wasn't important. Not the number of women or the way in which he may have- "How many women have to said 'I love you' to?" The words were tumbling out of Annie's mouth before she could stop them and an instant later, in the absolute silence of the living room, she mentally slapped herself on the forehead for allowing her thoughts to be spoken.

"What?" he asked unsurely.

"Never mind," she said quickly with a shake of her head. "I don't want to know."

"I wasn't going to tell you anyway," Jeff replied slowly, pausing between each word.

"Okay," Annie said with what she hoped was an air of finality. They sat in stillness for a moment. "I just killed the mood, didn't I?" she asked.

"We can get it back," Jeff replied quietly and slipped his hand down to the underside of Annie's thigh, pulling it toward him. Her eyes widened as she allowed him to manipulate her body further, bringing her left leg to extend across his lap in what felt like a slightly awkward position. Her right leg was still tucked underneath her, digging into his sofa cushions. Jeff touched her big toe lightly and Annie jerked in his embrace. He glanced up at her as she bit her lip to keep from making noise.

Her toe?

Who knew?

_Jeff_ knew somehow.

His finger trailed down her instep and then back up again before sliding up her damp calf. The sudden intake of air on her part didn't go unnoticed and Jeff chuckled conceitedly. Annie tried to pull her leg away, but he was quicker, holding her against his lap. It wasn't until then that she noticed the slight bulge he was trying to work around. Without thinking, Annie let one hand reach toward it and touch him delicately. Jeff, whose focus had been entirely on her naked leg, inhaled sharply and batted her hand away from him without giving it another thought. Annie pouted and reached for him again, but he grabbed her wrist easily and pulled it away from him. "Stop it," he commanded softly without bothering to even glance up at her.

"Jeff," Annie whined again and Jeff raised an eyebrow toward the leg he was still caressing.

"Annie, I told you." His eyes finally met hers and despite the blue light coming from the ignored television, she could tell his eyes had gotten darker somehow. "I'm not letting you control this."

"This isn't controlling," she argued. "This is trying to participate."

"Not yet," Jeff answered lightly as he brushed his palm up her thigh until his fingers slid just barely under the raised hemline of his shirt. Annie gasped stiltedly and then clamped her mouth shut. "Were you saying something, Annie?" She shook her head, not trusting her voice. Something inside told her that if he knew how much he was affecting her, he would stop. She could feel something winding up inside of her, coiling tighter and tighter in her belly, awaiting his okay to spring into action. Honestly, Annie wasn't sure why she was so wholly allowing him to be in the driver seat right now.

His fingers slid down to the inside of her thigh and Annie was embarrassed to hear herself whimper lightly.

Oh right.

_That_ was why she was letting him be in control.

Annie couldn't really remember ever having felt so turned on in her whole life. He was making her entire body slowly come alive, and he hadn't even really started trying yet. Jeff cleared his throat before pulling his fingertips away from her and Annie wriggled her leg toward his torso, chasing him. When her thigh pressed against his erection, Jeff exhaled and before Annie could figure out what was happening, she was being hauled toward him quickly. Two large hands spanned her waist and then she was straddling him easily, staring down at his upturned gaze. As if drawn forward like a magnet, Annie leaned down and pressed her lips against his. His hands slid quickly up her body and sunk into her wet hair, responding instantly. His tongue swiped at her lips and she opened to him without another thought. Annie allowed her fingertips to trail down his naked toned chest to his stomach, letting them spend time brushing against the hard planes of muscle she found there. Her thighs were beginning to ache from holding herself up from his body and when she finally lowered herself to his body completely, Jeff tore his mouth away in surprise. One of his slid over her shoulder and then moved swiftly down her back to gently trace over her backside, his eyes never leaving hers. The question that had been in his expression suddenly became an exclamation as he verified exactly what she wasn't wearing underneath his shirt. He grabbed a fistful of the shirt and tugged her almost violently back toward him, crushing his lips against hers. Annie sighed into his open mouth and Jeff replied with an almost animalistic groan. She reflexively pressed her pelvis toward him, connecting with his erection. He hissed into her mouth and she grinned widely. _She _was the one causing this reaction in him. It was so empowering and…maddening at the same time. Breaking away from his mouth, Annie smiled as she raised both hands to the top button of the oversized dress shirt and rubbed against the hard shiny surface. Jeff's eyes moved from her face down to where her hands were joined in front of him. Anticipating his reaction, she undid the button slowly and they exhaled in tandem. When their gaze met a second later, his mouth quirked up on one side to smirk at her. The smirk disappeared in the next instant as she moved down to the next button. She popped it open more quickly this time and didn't hesitate before moving downward again. It wasn't until she had the button clasped between her fingers that Jeff covered her hands with one of his own, stilling her actions. Annie bit her lip unsurely, hoping against hope that he wasn't going to stop her in any way. He gently brushed her hands out of the way and they fell to her sides awkwardly as Annie continued to watch his actions.

"Jeff?" she murmured after a moment of stillness.

"Yeah," he answered in a gravelly tone. "I want to do it."

She exhaled, relieved when in the next moment he undid another button. It gaped in front of her, creating shadows against her partially exposed breasts. Jeff didn't waste another moment before sliding a hand up to the newly exposed skin and touching it gently. He ran a finger up and down her breastbone before sliding further down to where the shirt was still closed. Annie allowed her eyes to flutter closed for a second before forcing them back open. She was only slightly alarmed to find him staring at her, waiting for her to react to his touch. Her mouth opened to speak, but she found she had no words for him. His soft knowing smile made her stomach squirm again. His hands settled on her waist again and then he was leaning forward to run his lips against her exposed breastbone. Soft dry kisses ran up to her throat and then back down again. Jeff pulled away only long enough to push his shirt to one side, revealing one of her breasts to him. Annie's breath froze in her lungs as she waited for him to do something. She was rewarded a moment later when his mouth connected with the soft flesh. Slowly, he kissed along the top of it before cupping it fully in one hand and rubbing his thumb across her quickly tightening nipple. She gasped at the sensation, knowing that he was able to feel in his lap how it was affecting her. Jeff grinned up at her before leaning in again and taking the hardened peak into his mouth and wetting it with his tongue. Annie threw her head back slightly, forcing her chest closer to him. His strong arms linked behind her back. She wanted more. It wasn't enough. "Jeff," she whimpered and in the next instant, he was sucking on her in earnest. She cried out at the sensation that shot immediately down to where she ultimately wanted him. Jeff pulled away and nuzzled the other side of her shirt aside before treating Annie's other breast with the same attention. Instinctively, she rolled her hips against him and Jeff groaned against her flesh. Suddenly, he was lifting her off of him easily and pushing her down flat against the cushions on the other side of him. He eyed her hungrily and Annie felt the rush between her legs. "I thought you didn't want to do this," she teased him lightly, closing her bent legs in front of her.

"And then you took off your underwear and climbed on _top_ of me," Jeff answered easily as he moved more fully on top of her.

She frowned. "You pulled me on top of you, Jeff."

"Fine," Jeff replied. "I'll let you be right this time."

"I _am_ right this time," Annie argued as each of his palms landed on a kneecap. Instead of pulling them apart like she anticipated, he slid them down her shins and she felt suddenly thankful that she had made the decision to shave her legs before getting out of his shower. They slid back up to her knees.

"Very soft," he noted. He leaned forward and inhaled. "Did you use my moisturizer?" She nodded unsurely and Jeff chuckled low in his throat. "You put a lot of effort into this," he continued after a moment's thought and Annie felt her body tense up. Was he patronizing her now? Was he working her up only to drop her now? His eyes met hers in the glow of Nick at Nite. "You're awesome, Annie."

She knew she was blushing like a teenager, but she didn't care. She had been waiting her entire life for a man to say that to her and now one was. And not just any guy, but the one that she'd wanted to hear it from for what felt like such a long time. She hummed, approving of whatever he had just done or was about to do or had ever thought about doing to her. Jeff grinned in response. She allowed him to manipulate one of her legs down to dangle over the edge of the couch to the floor. The result was finding herself completely exposed to him now. His gaze didn't leave hers as he pressed his index finger against her cloth-covered stomach and Annie inhaled sharply. His eyes narrowed playfully and then he was dragging it downward, pulling it back toward him as slowly as he could manage. He followed the curve of her body and Annie let out a tiny mewl as the finger brushed down her center, all the way to where her skin met the couch cushion underneath her. Jeff pulled back his hand, finger still pointed in the air and quirked an eyebrow at her. "Again?" he asked and she gave a short nod, resisting the urge to thrust her hips wantonly in his direction. The finger landed on her stomach again and she instinctively sucked in a breath at the contact. "Annie?" he teased. She nodded her head again, squeezing her eyes shut. It was ridiculous how wound up he had her with so little work.

She wanted this so badly and he was teasing her.

Great.

This time, when his digit drew over where she most wanted it, he pulled away at the last second and Annie did move her hips toward him, trying to hold the connection. "Anxious?" he asked and she groaned in frustration. "Look at me," he said gently and Annie's unfocused eyes met his. He licked his lips slowly and then his finger was back. Annie's hips canted off the couch as he allowed himself to finally touch her in earnest, sliding his finger back and forth over her. "You _have_ been anxious," Jeff noted darkly and Annie rolled her eyes. "Wow," he said a moment later and Annie wriggled her hips in his direction. He slid a finger into her and Annie cried out. "Holy crap," he murmured. "You're so…" He trailed off as he began a slow rhythm with his hand against her and she responded with increasing movement of her own.

"Jeff," she whispered, feeling herself wind tighter and tighter. Her lower lip was sucked into her mouth and she bit down hard.

"I wanted to do this the other morning," he announced quietly as he picked up his pace slightly. Annie nodded wordlessly. He withdrew his finger from her body and before she could protest, she felt it slide two inches north and begin to rub in small circles. She groaned out, her eyes flying open to meet his expectant gaze. "Yeah," he said in a low voice. She could feel the inevitable coming and drew both of her feet back to the cushion to give herself better leverage. "Annie," Jeff whispered. Oh. It was… She could almost taste it. He began circling faster and faster and Annie threw her head back as she felt the wave rolling toward her.

And then his hand was gone.

Annie's eyes flew open in the next instant and she was struggling to sit up, glaring at him angrily. "I thought you'd fallen asleep," he said, trying to smother a grin and she huffed her way into a pout. "So you're awake then?" Jeff asked with a wry grin.

"Jeff," Annie whined, throwing her head back, this time in frustration.

She had been so close. Why did he always have to be such a-

His finger lightly touched a spot just on the underside of her bundle of nerves and then she was flying apart completely unexpectedly. She cried out as his finger pressed back inside of her and she felt her muscles tighten around it. Jeff continued to coax the climax out of her, waiting for her to ride out the sudden orgasm that was still washing over her. Her toes curled against the fabric of his couch as she moved her hips upward in a rhythm her body was dictating to her.

It was glorious.

When she finally felt the warm tight sensation ebbing from her, Annie sighed contentedly and relaxed back onto the couch in front of him. Her eyes fluttered open again and she grinned widely at him. "How ya doin'?" he asked with a smirk and she rolled her eyes good naturedly. "I've…I've wanted to do that for a long time." Annie turned her face away from him to rest her cheek against the cushion under her. There was a part of her that was perfectly sated and happy. But there was an even larger part that wanted to keep going with him, keep pushing forward until he told her to stop. Who knew when or if she would ever have this chance again? As soon as she had enough energy, she was going to sit up and pay him back for every-

He pulled his digit from where it had still been buried inside of her and Annie hissed blissfully. She locked eyes with him once again and watched as he slowly brought the glistening finger up to his face. He inhaled her scent, unnecessary now as it permeated the entire room, and then slipped the tip of the finger into his waiting mouth. Annie let out a strangled cry at the sight and then squeezed her eyes shut again. She needed to be able to stop focusing on her own wants if she was going to be able to actually participate in this whole thing. Jeff made a humming noise as his lips fully closed around his finger, tasting her and Annie mewled at the sound. He wrapped an arm around her left thigh and lifted it until her ankle rested against the top of the couch. The cool rush of air against her exposed center caused a tingle to run down Annie's spine and she shivered. Whether it was from the cold or the mere anticipation of what she knew was coming, Annie didn't know. "Jeff," Annie breathed out. "I want to touch you." He shushed her, causing her to frown at him. She wanted to protest, to draw herself up and launch her entire body at him. She wanted to have power over him and hold him in the palm of her hand. He wanted to make him as crazy as he made her on a minute by minute basis. However, her muscles would not cooperate. A large portion of her brain wanted her to lay there selfishly and take whatever attention Jeff Winger was willing to bestow on her.

Jeff turned his face toward where her leg was propped up next to him and dropped his lips to the instep of her foot. Annie arched her back and allowed her toes to curl again. He kissed her softly there before sliding his lips further up her leg, passing her ankle with little attention before pressing tiny individual kisses against her calf. One hand came up to tickle the underside of her knee and Annie giggled lightly, resisting the urge to pull away from his touch in any way. He continued on his path toward where she ultimately wanted him the most. Once he reached her thigh, he started languidly planting kisses onto her freshly showered flesh.

"You taste like that soap you use," Jeff muttered against his skin.

"I hadn't bathed in like three days, Jeff." Annie tightened the muscles in her thigh reflexively and Jeff's eyes swept up her torso to land on her face. "Sorry," she muttered quietly. He raised an eyebrow.

"You seem a little on edge," he noted, clearly trying to keep a smirk from forming. She opened her mouth to argue with him, but then his mouth was otherwise engaged again and instead Annie took the opportunity to suck in a deep breath and let her eyes slide closed again.

Oh.

Okay.

That was…

Wow.

His touch was teasing, moving in light touches and almost-caresses. Jeff wasn't going to allow her to relax into this at all, she could tell. He would swipe at her only to pull away and exhale against her flesh. Again and again he used the softest of strokes, until Annie was wantonly lifting herself up to meet him. He gave her a smile that glistened in the light of the forgotten television screen and then dropped his mouth to fully engage her. The squeal that escaped Annie surprised them both and when their gazes locked in the aftermath, there was a heat there that had never existed at this intensity level. Jeff brought his tongue back to connect with her sensitive flesh and went to work.

She was so close already. Annie had often assumed that his mouth was his most valuable asset, given his ability to talk his way out of or into any situation. But now, lying half underneath him on a twelve hundred dollar couch with his tongue lapping at her greedily, she was positive of that. The amount of gasping and sighing and mewling that was coming out of her sounded theatrical to her own ears, but with every noise she made, Jeff redoubled his efforts until she was groaning and thrashing under him. His finger was back, probing into her searchingly. "Annie," he murmured against her as his mouth moved up to suck her most sensitive part into his mouth. Annie felt the powerful climax rip through her, this time not a surprise given how close she'd been for so many minutes. Her eyes popped open in shock as she felt herself let go and watched as Jeff's head bobbed between her legs, still working. The tingles were still fresh and she could feel the building start again quickly. Too quickly in fact. With shaking hands, Annie reached down and gently pushed him away from her.

"What?" he asked in a thick tone that was tinged with irritation. He wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand and met her gaze. "What's up?"

"I was…" Annie bit her lower lip, feeling the tremors still going as she broke off. "I…again. And I didn't want to without you."

This time the smirk that he gave her, while at least partly smug, was also genuine happiness. Or at least that was what she was telling herself. He hummed to himself and then kissed the inside of her thigh again. "Okay," he finally agreed and Annie struggled slightly to sit up before she had strong hands wrapping around her waist and helping her.

"Thanks," she murmured, acknowledging the assist he'd just given her. Jeff waggled his eyebrows at her and she giggled. "Not for that, Jeff." Annie cringed. "I mean…yes, for that too. But…" She trailed off, unsure of how to work what she needed to say. Had any man ever so selflessly given to her, allowed her to get carried away without worrying about his own prurient needs? "You didn't have to do that," is what she finally settled on.

Jeff furrowed his brow. "I don't know if you noticed Annie, but I was kind of enjoying myself." He grinned at her impishly. "You make a lot of noise."

Annie buried her face against his warm shoulder and groaned in embarrassment. "I know, I don't know how that…" She stopped speaking. "I've never…done that."

"Yeah, well I don't know if you've noticed Annie, but I'm awesome." He shrugged his shoulder lightly, pushing her off of him so he could look at her. She did so with trepidation. "You're pretty awesome too, Annie."

She wrapped her arms around him blissfully and tucked her body against his. He dropped an arm across her shoulder and paused briefly before fully pulling her closer still. There was an exhalation of air that came from him and when Annie glanced up at him, it seemed to not be from exhaustion but from contentedness. He smiled at her and then raised an eyebrow and jerked his head toward the bedroom she'd exited from only ten minutes prior. With a firm nod, Annie summoned all of her strength and pressed a palm against his thigh as leverage to push herself off of the couch to stand. She reached behind herself to pull him up, but he wouldn't budge.

"Jeff," she said in a tone she hoped sounded at least slightly admonishing. He tugged her back down on top of her.

His lips sought out her neck suddenly and she inhaled as his face was buried in her mass of wet tangled hair. "We could wait a little while longer."

Rolling her eyes to herself, Annie resituated herself so she was astride him. "Fine," she agreed lightly as he reached for the two buttons of the dress shirt that were still closed, keeping her blocked from his sight. "We can have sex here on the couch." She tilted her head to the side as she paused. "Where Chang sleeps."

He was pushing her to her feet and standing behind her before the sentence was fully out of Annie's mouth. A large hand pressed against the small of her back and propelled her toward his bedroom with an urgency she hadn't expected. "Thanks for that," he muttered sarcastically from behind her. "He doesn't wear pajama bottoms half the time."

"Ew," Annie whined. "Jeff, I had my naked…_butt _on that couch!"

"I remember," he shot back dryly.

She reached the doorframe of his room and skidded to a stop, Jeff running into her a moment later. The force pushed them further into the dark room before they both paused in silence. She was in Jeff's bedroom. Well, she'd been in the room earlier. And it had been her goal to re-enter, preferably with the resident of said room in tow. But now they were actually together, two feet from his massive bed….mostly naked. "Um…" Annie hummed, unsure of how to proceed. Should she just take the shirt off and climb onto the bed? That seemed kind of forward, didn't it?

"Annie," Jeff muttered in an exasperated tone. "I just ate you out in my living room."

"Jeff!" Annie squealed, her mouth dropping open.

"I did," he argued with a wave of his arm back in the direction from which they'd just come.

She could feel her cheeks heating up. Despite the baldness of that statement, it was true. Jeff had just…

"I know," she hissed quietly, not capable of meeting his eye line at the moment. He closed the gap between them and tipped her chin upward with his index finger before he was kissing her deeply, wrapping his strong arms around her. Her knees buckled slightly and she faltered in his embrace. He tightened his grip and then Annie was stumbling backwards toward the large mattress, Jeff propelling her onward not with urgency, but with finality.

It was happening.

Now.

The backs of her knees came in contact with the mattress and she climbed backwards onto it as gracefully as she could manage, given the circumstances. He followed easily and she found him on top of her within moments. The blue sheets she'd pulled back when she'd climbed out of the bed earlier lay twisted under their bodies. Something finally clicked into place in Annie's brain at the realization that her plan had been completely successful and she leaned up far enough to capture his lips with her own, kissing him as aggressively as she could from her current position. Jeff responded immediately, opening his mouth to her. The taste of what she knew was herself invaded Annie's mouth, but she wasn't as turned off by it as she had feared she might be. She took a moment to give herself a mental pat on the back for not pushing him away and asking him to brush and gargle and floss before returning to the bed. Annie lifted one of her legs from its position to hook over Jeff's thigh and then, with one good push, she rolled them with his help. The heavily-lidded eyes that stared up at her made that warm wriggling sensation in her stomach triple and she smiled down at him in what she hoped was a seductive way. How had it slipped her mind to spend several minutes practicing her seductive glances in the mirror earlier? What kind of seductress was she? Annie shifted and brushed against Jeff's still-intact erection. Or intact again maybe? She wasn't sure. Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't realize he had managed to finish his earlier task of completely undressing her until the shirt was being pushed off her shoulders by his warming searching fingers. She grinned down at him again and them he was pulling her down to him completely, kissing her deeply again.

Maybe she didn't need the practice after all.

As their mouths battled, Annie felt Jeff's hand trail down her naked back and past her hip to land on the back of her thigh and she felt as well as heard him respond. With dexterity the belied her total lack of sleep in the past two or possibly three days, Annie trailed her fingertips down his torso to the waistband of his boxer briefs. She hadn't wanted to say anything, but had felt extremely relieved when she'd entered the living room and found him in underwear that were in no way striped for once. His hands covered hers and she stilled before glancing up at him. "These come off and that's it, kid."

She licked her lips. "I know, Jeff. And I'm not a kid."

"I'm getting that, yeah."

Without another word, Annie worked her way backwards down his legs, tugging his underwear carefully down as she went. His erection sprang up between them and she heard herself audibly gulp. Jeff rose up onto one extended arm and she could feel him watching her as she watched…well, him. "Um…" she stuttered and Jeff let out part of a chuckle that made his stomach muscles dance in the lamplight. "Wow."

"I've never had complaints," he replied and Annie wrinkled her nose.

"Ew, Jeff." She quirked her mouth up on one side as she continued to stare at it.

"You…you have seen one right?" he asked hesitantly after a moment. "I mean you and Vaughn…." He trailed off without completing the sentence. "Right?"

She nodded. "Yeah," she confirmed. "I've seen, but you're a lot…" She grimaced.

"Thank you," he cracked.

"Stop teasing," she scolded with a frown and he collapsed back onto the mattress.

"I'm not teasing," Jeff argued. "I'm trying to ease all the tension you're trying to create here."

Annie sighed. "I'm not trying to create tension, Jeff." She crossed her arms over her naked breasts, trying to look perturbed. "This is kind of a big deal if you haven't noticed."

"I know," he sighed. Making a noise that gave away their age difference, Jeff sat up fully to look at her. "I…" His eyes narrowed. "Do you not want to?" he asked finally.

"No, I do." She frowned. "I'm a grown up and I want to have sex with you."

Jeff smirked. "Annie, you don't…." He crossed his long legs awkwardly in front of him. "You don't have to have sex with me to prove you're an adult."

"You called me 'kid'," she shot back defensively. Jeff inhaled and watched her in silence. Shaking all other related thoughts from her head, Annie resolved herself to the task in front of her. This was not the time to get into an argument about their relative age difference. Moving quickly, she tackled his naked body with her own and propelled him back fully onto the mattress. She wasted no time, climbing back on top of him without a moment's notice. It was a big deal and he knew that. It was why it had taken her so long to get him to a headspace where he thought he could do this at all. And now she was naked in his bed with him hard and breathless under her and she was going to lecture him about the importance of the moment?

Not even a little bit.

Annie laid herself out of top of him, letting her legs fall to either side of him before grinding her hips against his. Jeff groaned and then pulled her even closer to kiss her. Considering their level of undress and their current position, the kiss was rather languid. Unhurriedly, Jeff continued to kiss her lips, swipe his tongue against hers. His fingers drew directionless patterns up and down her sides before slipping across her back to meet in the middle. Annie curled her spine, arching into his touch for a moment before moving her mouth to his stubble-covered jaw line and trailing her lips up to his ear. "Jeff," she breathed out in a tone that sounded stilted and harsh to her own ears. "I want…now."

She pulled her face away from him to meet his eye and he arched one eyebrow. "About time," he muttered. In the next instant, he was easily sweeping her underneath him, pinning her to the mattress. She landed with a gasp, bouncing slightly from the force of the movement. Annie bit her lip and watched with wide eyes and Jeff leaned over to open the drawer of his nightstand. When she realized what he was doing, her stomach filled with something warm and tingly again.

She really should be used to that sensation by now, shouldn't she?

It was with a heightened sense of curiosity that Annie watched Jeff carefully roll on the condom and then crawl back over to her. Furrowing her brow in concentration, she reached one hand toward him and let the tip of her index finger make contact with him. Jeff cleared his throat and neatly pulled her hand away. With that, she turned a pouting face up to him. "I want to touch it."

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Annie, we are so far past that point that I can't even tell you how long ago we passed it." He shook his head. "Your window of opportunity to try your hand at foreplay is closed now. You can try again later. But right now, we're doing this."

Annie rolled her eyes at his ridiculous pun before sighing. "I just wanted to…." She drifted off, licking her lips in her quest to find the right phrase for exactly what she wanted to do. What she wanted was to explore. She wanted to be able to take her time touching him and cataloguing his reactions to each caress she gave him. She wanted to-

He positioned himself between her legs and Annie's brain shorted out.

"Annie?" Jeff said in a thick tone that caused all the air to leave her lungs when their eyes met. She nodded. "Oh, sure. Now you're quiet."

When she was able to hold onto a breath, she opened her mouth slowly, enjoying the expression of near hysteria that was growing on Jeff's face. "Yes, Jeff." He pressed against her teasingly, sliding up and down before dropping down fully on top of her. "Jeff," Annie repeated breathlessly, placing her hands on his broad shoulders. "Now."

He buried himself inside of her fully in one long stroke and then exhaled. She watched as he closed his eyes for a moment, deep in his own thoughts before he looked at her again. "You good?" he asked gruffly and Annie nodded before tilting her pelvis up toward him.

"Very much," she answered, nodding too aggressively.

He exhaled into a grin before quirking an eyebrow at her. "Yeah?" he asked as he began to slide out. A moment later, he pushed forward again and Annie's back arched almost against her will.

"Yes," she groaned out and then they were both moving, bringing their bodies together in a forceful yet unhurried rhythm. She could feel everything inside of her, every muscle, and every half-remembered emotion about this particular action flooding to the surface of her consciousness. Her lower lip was sucked into her mouth and bit down on painfully as her stomach tensed. Her hands came up to dig into Jeff's hard shoulders, needing to feel his warm flesh under her fingers lest she think this was all a realistic dream. She flexed against him and he stiffened above her.

"Jesus Annie," he ground out through his teeth and she swallowed down the urge to do it again when he redoubled his effort against her. Annie lifted her legs to wrap around his torso, desperate to get closer to the hard planes of his body. Jeff groaned low in his throat and Annie heard herself respond, the unmistakable sound of a woman thoroughly enjoying herself. The noise almost startled her out of what she was doing. It sounded so unlike her. She sounded mature and womanly and..."Mmmm," Jeff hummed in a guttural tone and then he was lifting himself off of her slightly. His angle changed and she felt her hips fly off the mattress, almost of their own doing.

Annie turned her head to lay it flat against his expensive pillowcase and breathed out his name desperately. She was rewarded by the sound of her name tumbling from his mouth as he continued to work above her, against her, into her. The telltale signs of her impending orgasm started in her belly and Annie's eyes met his a moment later. Their gazes locked, they raced each other toward completion. The sweat that was forming on their bodies added to the scent that was taking over the room as a result of their coupling. She bit her lip to keep from crying out from exertion and let one of her hands trail down her naked torso to where they were joined together and brought one finger out cautiously to brush against the sensitive area he wasn't touching.

The tightening was immediate, causing her to clamp down on him as she fell over the edge. Annie threw her head back violently and squeezed her eyes shut as she continued to spasm around him. "Shit," Jeff growled and then he too was jerking and gasping and letting go. He dropped down onto her for a moment and she reveled in the feeling of his sweat-ridden body sliding against hers again. Jeff rested there for an awkward moment before climbing off of her and excusing himself to the bathroom. Annie lay there, catching her breath and staring unseeingly up at his stippled ceiling.

They had really just done that.

If she hadn't been so exhausted, she would squeal and roll over and wiggle in happiness. She was hot and throbbing and perfectly content to just lie there however. When Jeff returned to the room, he flipped the lamp off and slid into bed next to her. Annie rolled toward him onto her side and slid one of her legs in between his. His palm landed on her thigh almost immediately and together they exhaled into the silence.

"That about what you had in mind?" Jeff asked conversationally and she chuckled in a voice that sounded hoarse to her own ears.

"Yeah," she panted out and this time it was him that chuckled. Her eyes fluttered closed for a split second before Annie forced them open again. The idea of sleep was tempting, but as long as Jeff was awake, she was going to be too. There was still too much that they hadn't discussed and the promise of actually having a real conversation with him was too good to pass up. "What were you and Britta arguing about?" she asked, for some reason deciding that was the question to dive in on.

"What?" he asked, completely blind-sighted by the inquiry. "When?"

"At the hospital." Annie sighed. "You and Britta were fighting about something."

Jeff exhaled slowly. "Oh." He cleared his throat. "We were fighting about you."

"About me?" she clarified in a tiny voice. Was Britta jealous? Is that what was happening?

"Well, you and Troy."

"What about us?" Annie persisted, wiggling slightly closer to him.

Jeff sighed. "She accused me of leading you on when I had no intention of doing anything about it. She thought I would end up hurting you and breaking up the study group because I was selfish enough to want to sleep with you and not commit."

"I see."

"And so then I yelled at her about what she and Troy are doing, because she is totally doing the same thing." Annie frowned. "And then she said that she...wasn't just messing around with Troy."

"Really?" Annie asked, perking up.

Jeff turned toward her with a frown. "Why are you so peppy about that?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Don't you think they're cute together?"

"I don't know," he answered with a slight edge to his voice. "I hadn't really thought about it, Annie."

"I think they're good for each other," she announced in response with a firm nod.

"I guess." She reared her head up to stare at him in silence for several moments and watched Jeff yawn. "What?" he asked.

She bit her lip. She wanted to ask, but the moment was so perfect. What if the question ruined it? Annie exhaled. "Why did you start with Britta?"

Jeff groaned. "Why do you care so much about this?" he asked, ignoring her inquiry altogether. "I don't get you." He raised his eyebrows. "I mean, you do know that it wasn't about you, right?" Annie frowned. "Annie." He sighed loudly and rolled slightly toward her. "I had no reason not to." She sputtered wordlessly, feeling a rush of indignation flood into her. "And you are not going to make me feel any guiltier about it than you already have."

"Jeff," she whined, her lower lip pushing out into a pout.

"I did not do it to hurt you, Annie." There was a naked sincerity in his expression that made Annie immediately believe him. Of course, that was how he always got people to go along with him. "Britta and I are both angry selfish people," he continued. "And while that makes it seem like we should be perfect for each other, what it really means is that we don't care about each other at all and...it makes us care less about people around us." Annie swallowed over the lump that had formed in her throat and nodded in acknowledgment of what he wasn't saying to her. "Did you really want to sleep with Sergio?"

The question threw her for a moment and she had to pause to really take it in. "I..." She frowned. They were still talking about Sergio? "He's..._gay_," she whispered in confusion.

"Yeah," Jeff agreed. "But you didn't know that from the beginning, did you?"

Annie shook her head. "No."

"Okay, so..." He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Well," she began slowly. "I really did want to sleep with him, yeah."

Jeff exhaled. "Okay. I..." He grimaced. "I wasn't ready for that answer."

"Sorry," Annie answered, not meaning it even slightly. "But I'm a grown up and I can have sex with whomever I want."

"I'm aware," he replied, gesturing down to his own naked body. "I just didn't really think you would have sex with him. You realize he was trying to seduce you at Camilla's command, right?"

"Yeah, but he was still trying to seduce me," she pointed out. "That doesn't happen to me that often."

"Says the woman naked in my bed," Jeff cracked.

"This was _me_ seducing _you_," Annie corrected. "You said so yourself."

"Either way. It was inevitable, wasn't it?" He quirked one eyebrow at her. "I mean, if I had no interest in sleeping with you, why would I kick Chang out?"

She gasped. "You brought me here to have sex with me?" The mass of emotions that rushed into her consciousness at that thought was overwhelming. Had this all been a setup? Had it been his plan all along to just have his way with her and then send her on her way? It definitely wouldn't be the first time that Jeff had thought with the wrong organ. How could he have-

"Stop thinking," he stated firmly from her side and when Annie met his gaze, his expression was steely. "I mean it. Stop letting your crazy female brain overanalyze this."

"I'm not crazy," Annie shot back defensively, the words easily rolling off of her tongue from years of practice.

He tugged her toward him and dropped his lips to the top of her head. "You're a girl," he responded. "All girls are crazy."

"Nuh uh," she argued back, sounding like a five year-old.

He chuckled. "Good point. I'll make a lawyer out of you yet." Her eyes fluttered closed and stayed that way for a moment. "You falling asleep?" he asked quietly and Annie shook her head.

"No," she clarified and he laughed again.

"You can go to sleep, you know."

"I don't want to."

"She yawned."

"You might leave," she mumbled out, feeling her consciousness slipping from her quickly.

"Annie," Jeff stated. "This is my apartment."

"Has that stopped you from ditching women before?"

"I'm not going to ditch you," he replied, his own voice rapidly taking on the sound of sleepiness. Annie relaxed even further into his body and felt a tingle shoot down her spine when his arm tightened around her slightly. "Hey," Jeff intoned a moment later. "You remember that thing I said about you needing a guy who would go to a pet store with you?" Annie hummed softly in response. "If you ever repeat this, I will deny it...but...I would carry your fish tank."

She smiled, completely content. "I love you too."


	32. Chapter 32

"Do you want to stop somewhere for coffee?"

Annie opened her mouth to answer him and instead gave him a long, ugly yawn. When she could finally control herself, she covered her mouth self-consciously.

"So, that's a 'yes', right?" Jeff asked in mock sincerity and Annie rolled her eyes in response. "Annie, I really don't think anyone would care if we slept a couple more hours." He shot her rather convincing pouty expression over the roof of his car and could tell from her expression that she was starting to crumble. "Come on, no one will miss us."

Us.

The word didn't stick in his throat the way he thought it would. No, it actually felt good. Liberating even. After all of the purposeful misdirection and game-playing, it really had been as easy as being honest with her.

Who would have thought?

"Jeff," Annie chastised him with an obvious air of affection, "Pierce is being sent home this afternoon from the hospital and we need to be at his house for the party." She punctuated the statement with another yawn.

"We're having a party?" he asked. "You miss everything when you don't have a phone in this group. I think we are going to need to have an intervention with Shirley soon if this baking thing doesn't stop."

Annie raised her eyebrows teasingly at him. "She's fine. And maybe if you wanted to stay in the loop you shouldn't have decided to send your phone out for a swim." She grinned at him in the morning sun and Jeff couldn't help returning the gesture. When she smiled at him like that, his impulse was to give her whatever she wanted. This clearly meant that she couldn't ever figure that out. How dangerous would that be?

When he'd woken up that morning, there had been a split second of panic that had spread through his chest. That moment of confusion with his surroundings had eased at the mere sight of Annie, curled up on her side next to him. She had looked so small in his bed. But he knew now without a doubt, even if he'd been trying to convince himself otherwise for a long time, that Annie was definitely a grown woman.

"Jeff?" Annie called, pulling him out of his daydream before it had even begun. He glanced up at her quizzical face. "I said 'what are you thinking about?'" She smiled at him and Jeff could detect the barest hint of nerves there.

He slid his sunglasses down his nose and shot her a look that made her blush instantly. He loved that he didn't even have to say anything to make that happen. "Yeah," he agreed as she glanced away, seemingly embarrassed at the slightest hint of their budding physical relationship. "Are you blushing?" he teased her lightly.

"Jeff," she whined back at him and he smiled even wider as he unlocked the doors of his car and they climbed in. He watched her settle into her seat and fasten her seat belt before smoothing her skirt down demurely over her thighs. When she finally cottoned onto the fact that he was watching her, Annie turned to him with a curious expression. "What?" Jeff simply shook his head, trying not to grin at the fidgety, over-achieving female who had somehow ended up his girlfriend.

Girlfriend.

Oof.

He'd never been one to be overtly positive about life in general, instead always choosing to find the negative aspects of every scenario and working them out before they bit him in the ass. His motivational speeches that his friends had come to expect from him were not his feelings, but more a way to keep them calm and happy in the face of any problems. Even as Jeff allowed his seatbelt to engage, his brain shot twenty different scenarios through his head, all of them ending in Annie breaking up with him. There was a greater than likely chance that he could still mess this up entirely. But he felt better about life in general whenever she was around. And realizing ahead of time that he could ruin everything was half the battle. "So, coffee?" he asked Annie as he backed out of his parking space.

She nodded. "I'm a little tired." Yawn. "I don't want anyone to notice."

Yawn.

"Notice what?" Jeff cracked when she finally closed her mouth again. "No, I think you're playing this whole sleepy thing very subtly." She rolled her eyes at him. "Try not to drool on the leather seats. Again."

"I'm sorry," she said, not sounding sorry. "I was a little distracted from sleeping last night."

He nodded. "I noticed, what with you waking me up to have sex with you."

"Jeff!" Annie squealed, her cheeks turning pink.

"Believe me," he countered. "I'm not complaining, Annie."

They sat in comfortable silence as the Lexus made its way toward the nearest Starbucks drive-through. "So," she said slowly. "Are we telling everyone?" Her clear nervousness at the thought made Jeff cough through a smirk.

"I don't think we're really going to have to," he answered honestly and Annie furrowed her brow. "Annie, yesterday at this time, you weren't even speaking to me. How good of an actress do you think you are?"

The young woman opened her mouth to protest, but no sound came out. "So, you really think I'm that obvious?"

"Yes," Jeff responded lightly. "But they're going to know eventually anyway."

"Fine," she answered with an edge to her voice. "We'll just see how cool I can be."

Jeff glanced over at her. "So, you're going to lie to your friends all day to prove a point?"

"You bet your cute butt I am," was her reply.

"You think I have a cute butt, huh?" he grinned at her and Annie gave him a one-shouldered shrug, refusing to meet his eye. "You do know they're going to ask regardless of whether they know we're a couple, right?"

"Maybe," Annie conceded. "But I kind of want to just have it be mine, ours for a while without having to hear all of their thoughts on it." She frowned worriedly over at him. "Does that make me a bad friend?"

"No," he answered easily. "It makes you a sane human." Annie sighed. Her phone chirped from inside of her bag and she reached in to dig for it.

"It's Rich," she said a moment before she answered it. "Hey, Rich." She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. "Isn't it a little late to be calling?" Pause. "What? What are you doing in London?" Jeff glanced over at her troubled expression. "Rich….Rich! I know." Annie's face softened. "Yeah, he told me." Pause. "Last night."

Did that stupid weasel call to rat him out? When he was the one in cahoots with the evil queen? "What is he telling you?" Jeff asked.

Annie held up a finger to quiet him. "Well yeah, but….you like him." Jeff rolled his eyes. "I know that, but it was his job." She chuckled lightly and Jeff clenched his jaw. Even after everything, the thought of her talking to Rich made him kind of crazy. It was slightly comforting to know that it was a hate for the doctor himself and not some misplaced jealousy over Annie though. "No, it's all…." Annie turned to glance affectionately at Jeff, which he caught out of the corner of his eye. "Everything is good here." Pause. "Yeah, he's coming home from the hospital today." Long pause. "I….I think you should go for it, Rich." She grinned widely and Jeff bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from demanding to know what they were talking about. The secrets and the lying and the game-playing were done now. He might have problems trusting people in general, but not her.

Not anymore.

Annie hung up her phone and turned to him, practically beaming. "Rich is going to be staying in Italy indefinitely."

Jeff's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" She nodded. "Huh. I gotta say, I didn't really see that coming."

"You should see them together," Annie replied. "They're really cute."

"What was the rest of that?" Jeff asked as lightly as he could.

"Oh, he just wanted to warn me about Pierce and Camilla and Sergio and …you."

He frowned. "I'm insulted at being lumped in with that group."

"What was it like kissing her?" Annie asked with a wrinkled nose.

"I didn't kiss her, she kissed me." Jeff pulled up to the window and ordered. "And it was terrifying. Like making out with one of those hot dogs that stay on the rollers all day at the gas station."

"Ew," Annie giggled before taking a sip of her coffee. "So, we're not telling everyone today? That we're….."

Jeff stopped himself from purposely being obtuse. He didn't think she would find the humor in that at this juncture. "If you want to tell them, you should tell them."

"You don't want to?" she asked.

Jeff turned onto Pierce's street. "I just don't think it's any of their business. And after the last month of every one of them butting into our lives, I don't want to give any of them the satisfaction." He glowered. "Especially Pierce."

Giving him a long furtive glance, Annie frowned and took another sip. "I thought you and Pierce talked everything out."

"We did," Jeff answered, his eyes staying on the road.

"And?"

He sighed. "And he may genuinely like you, but he still put both of us in the middle of a very large game of chicken with his shrew of an ex-wife."

"His heart was in the right place," Annie defended weakly.

Jeff pulled into Pierce's circular drive and put the car in park. "I don't get it, Annie. You refuse to trust me ninety percent of the time and yet give him the benefit of the doubt at every turn." He turned in his seat to face the young woman. "What gives?"

She frowned to herself for a moment. "When Pierce disappoints me, it doesn't matter as much to me." Staring down at her hands, she continued softly. "I don't_ love_ him."

Crap.

Jeff had told himself that he was protecting her from…well, _him_ this entire time. But truly, the person he'd been protecting was himself. Not from Annie. No, that idea was laughable. Years of not stacking up, of never being important to another person had made him at the very least gun shy when it came to intimacy. Annie knew all of this, knew everything about him, and she still loved him. Trusted him, when he had never really given her any reason to. He opened his mouth.

"I went to the airport."

"Huh?" Annie asked eloquently.

Jeff mentally kicked himself. He knew it needed to be said, but he had been planning on waiting a little longer to drop this particular piece of information into her lap. "I was at the airport the day you left." Annie's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open in shock. "I went to the airport. With a bag."

She swallowed. "And?"

"And I chickened out," he replied with a shrug.

Her eyes stayed on his face for a long time, simply sizing him up. Jeff fought the urge to distract her from her own thought process. "Why did you come to the airport?" Annie finally asked, and he could tell she was scared of what the answer might be.

He pulled his sunglasses off of his face and held her gaze for a moment. "Because I wanted to go with you."

"Really?" Annie asked as she visibly melted.

"I mean," Jeff qualified slowly. "I'm not going to lie here and tell you that I must have been in love with you the entire time." Annie's face fell. "I have been working a long time at convincing myself that I didn't feel anything for you and trying to desensitize myself to the…." He paused and grinned. "To the Annie of it all." Annie's mouth quirked up on one side. "I didn't get on the plane with you because I was sure that whether or not you knew it, I was not what you wanted."

"And now?" she persisted.

"I've decided to trust your judgment." He unbuckled his seatbelt. "It's usually pretty good, after all."

One small cold hand landed on his and he met her gaze. "Thank you for telling me, Jeff." She smiled encouragingly at him and Jeff felt himself relax.

He jerked his head in the direction of the immense house. "Let's get this over with."

They walked in tandem, carefully not touching, all the way to the front door. It was yanked open at the last second by Shirley. She beamed at them before stepping aside to let them in. "I didn't expect you two to be so prompt today," she simpered at them. Taking in the Lexus in the driveway, she turned to glance at the innocently. "Just one car? Did you come together?"

"Yeah," Annie answered smoothly. "My car is still at the airport, so Jeff gave me a lift this morning."

Shirley's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly before she was smiling again. "That was nice of him. Annie, Abed is in the kitchen getting the food laid out. Can you give him a hand for a minute while I talk to Jeff?"

Jeff felt a trickle of dread shoot down his spine that caused him to outright shiver. Annie shot him a concerned look and he nodded at her ever so slightly before she disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.

And now Shirley would kill him.

She watched him silently, waiting for him to speak. But Jeff was very good at this game. He smiled at her before stepping further into Pierce's large living room and taking in the high ceilings. Shirley followed him and looked up at him. "Shirley, I'm not sure what you think this is accomplishing, but I can tell you it's not working." She just stared at him. "If you're going to lecture me, just do it." She raised her eyebrows. "Threaten me?" Her lips curled up into a small smile. Gently tugging on his shirtsleeve, Shirley reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek before walking into the kitchen. "Shirley?"

Huh.

That had gone eerily well, actually.

Jeff started to follow her to the kitchen when the front door opened behind him. He turned in time to see a wheelchair-bound Pierce being pushed into the house by Troy. Britta followed behind them, carrying a bunch of helium balloons.

"-just don't see why we couldn't have stopped off," Pierce was complaining.

"Pierce," Britta snapped. "You just had cancer surgery; we were not going to stop off for cigars."

"I have some candy cigarettes," Troy whispered, bending close to the old man's ear. "Just don't tell Britta."

The blonde noticed Jeff and gave him a smile that he returned. "You're here," she stated.

"How was the trip from the hospital?" he smarmed at her and Britta rolled her eyes.

"It was like driving two kids home from soccer practice," she answered. "I kind of want to slap both of them right now."

"Aw," Jeff said. "You're gonna be a great mom."

"Jeff," Pierce spoke up and Jeff looked down at him. "What are you doing here?" At the sound of Pierce's voice, Shirley came rushing in from the kitchen with Annie and Abed on her heels. "What are all of you people doing in my house? Are you robbing me?"

"You were supposed to text me when you were leaving the hospital, Britta." Shirley spoke through gritted teeth, her smile never moving.

Britta held up her phone. "Dead battery."

"Surprise welcome home party," Abed answered Pierce. "Shirley made cake."

"Does it have eggs and flour?" Britta asked. "Because I'm vegan and gluten-free now."

Shirley glared at the blonde. "Just eat the damn cake," she said in a low tone. Flipping personalities instantly, she smiled over at Annie. "This is kind of a welcome home party for Annie and Jeff too, isn't it?"

Annie exchanged a quick glance with Jeff before smiling. "That's not necessary, Shirley. This is Pierce's party."

"Damn right it is," he piped up from his wheelchair.

"We're just glad to be home," Annie continued, earning a small smile from Jeff.

"I would like a word alone with Annie," Pierce stated and all eyes went to the young brunette. Except for Jeff, who let his eyes land on the old millionaire. He met Jeff's gaze for a moment before looking over at Annie. "It will just take a minute."

"Uh," Shirley floundered for a moment. "Of course. Everybody, can you come help me get the snacks ready in the kitchen?" Without waiting for a response, the mother of three made her way back toward the kitchen, pushing Jeff along with her. He protested silently for a moment before letting the woman direct him to the next room. Once the door had swung shut, Jeff was pressed against it.

"What do you think he's saying to her?"

Troy shrugged. "Maybe he's sending her somewhere else now. Like Tibet."

"Maybe he's asking her to dress up and nurse him back to health," Britta suggested. Jeff shot her a dirty look. "What, like that isn't a possibility with him?"

"Troy and I have to go set up the media room for the viewing," Abed announced before nodding at his friend. He turned to Jeff. "I'm glad you're back."

"Thanks, Abed." Jeff answered sincerely. Abed merely blinked at him before following Troy out of the room. He turned to face Britta and Shirley. "So….." He raised his eyebrows. "What kind of cake did you make?" He could tell from Britta's expression that the question would be flying out of her mouth any moment now. He braced himself for it.

Before the blonde could take him to task, Annie pushed the swinging door open slowly and entered the kitchen. Jeff studied her carefully, but she clearly wasn't meeting his eye. "What did he say?" he asked her as nonchalantly as he could manage. She gave him a small, reassuring smile but stayed silent. "Annie?"

"I guess there is something Abed has set up for us to watch in the media room?" Annie questioned, taking the bowl of snack mix that Shirley handed her. Jeff frowned at her before taking a stack of small plates and a handful of plastic forks and followed Annie down the hall to the media room.

Seriously, what had Pierce said? It was killing him not knowing what the old crazy man had said to Annie. She would have to tell him eventually, wouldn't she? Why was she keeping this from him? After he'd been so honest with her about dumping her at the airport like a sack of hot garbage. Okay, well that didn't make him sound too good actually. But that didn't change the fact that Pierce could tell her anything he wanted to, whether or not it was true. Jeff had tried very hard to remember everything, every secret he'd been keeping from her, and every secret everyone had been keeping from her. What had he said to her?

No.

He wasn't going to obsess about it. This wasn't the time or the place. He would wait until they left and then ask her.

"Seriously," Jeff said in a hushed tone as he stepped into the media room. "What did he say to you? Did he say something about me?"

Annie gave him a strange look. "Don't worry about it, Jeff. I'll tell you later." With that, she turned and walked away from him. She wasn't being rude, just dismissive. And secretive. Hadn't they had enough of the secrets?

Pierce rolled himself into the room, followed by Shirley and Britta.

Here went nothing.

Oh god.

"Annie and I are seeing each other," Jeff stated, pointing needlessly to the woman across the room, whose jaw dropped immediately.

"Uh, duh doy!" Pierce replied with a roll of his eyes. Jeff stared at each of his friends in turn. They all gave him knowing looks. How was this not surprising to anyone else?

"Now that he's gotten that off of his chest, can we watch this thing?" Britta asked, completely ignoring him.

"Wait," Jeff said loudly, raising his hands into the air. "Nobody cares? After everything that happened? Everything I've been through?"

"We do have lives of our own," Shirley sassed him with a nod before taking a spot on the couch. Britta collapsed next to her. Jeff frowned and walked over to sit beside Annie.

"I don't get it," he said to no one in particular before glancing at the brunette. She was looking at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Way to be cool, Jeff." She smirked. "I can't believe you were worried about _me_."

"You want someone to make a scene about it? Go tell the dean," Shirley suggested and Annie chuckled and reached over to touch fingertips with the woman. When Jeff shot Annie an incredulous look, she raised her eyebrows at him.

"What?" she defended. "That's true."

The lights dimmed. "These are the fruits of everyone's labor over the past month," Abed stated as he stood in front of the large television screen. Without another word, he stepped aside and the credits began to roll.

Jeff leaned over toward Annie and whispered to her. "What did Pierce say to you?"

She gave him the barest of smiles and leaned up to his ear to respond quietly. "He apologized and said he thought you really loved me, even if you never got around to telling me yourself." Jeff pulled away, shocked. Glancing over at Pierce, he met the man's gaze and nodded. Pierce mirrored his action and Jeff smiled to himself. He had a sneaking suspicion that Pierce wouldn't be enrolling in Greendale for fall semester. Something told Jeff he would be living halfway around the world by then.

Annie's gasp caused Jeff to look at the screen, where his 'Community College Chronicles' counterpart was in _his_ apartment, lifting weights and looking in a mirror. There was a knock at the door and Annie's counterpart stepped in and-

Wait.

What the hell?

When the lights came back on seventy-three minutes later, there was nothing but silence in the room. Annie's outraged squeak was the first noise to be emitted as she stood quickly. "Abed!" she whined. "Why did you do this?"

"Was it accurate?" Shirley asked, turning to the couple.

Jeff's eyes were still large and unblinking. "Accurate enough."

"This is what you've been working on?" Britta asked. "You were making a movie about them?"

"Sorry, Britta." Abed cocked his head to the side. "The Troy and Britta subplot ended up on the cutting room floor." Britta's mouth dropped open in shock and she looked at Troy suspiciously. His eyes widened and a huge fake grin spread across his face in the next instant.

"Did you tell him?" Britta hissed loudly without moving her lips.

"No," Troy answered in the same fashion.

Jeff leaned toward Annie. "Does she know we can all still hear her?"

"Maybe she's practicing a new ventriloquist act?" she suggested with a shrug and Jeff chuckled.

"I don't like the way I was portrayed in that movie," Pierce spoke up gruffly. "I'm not old or weak." He slumped back into his wheelchair a moment later. "Does anyone have a butterscotch?"

"And why wasn't I in this more?" Shirley asked. "Just because I'm not playing grab-ass or blackmailing any of you, I get forgotten about."

"Sorry, Shirley." Abed thought for a moment. "You can be the star of my next film." With that, he leaned over the table and started cutting the cake.

Shirley got up to help him, mentioning something about wanting to recast for her part and Jeff turned on the couch to face Annie. "So."

Annie frowned at him her lower lip trembling ever so slightly. "Everyone knows everything?" she asked quietly.

"Looks like it."

She brought a hand up to cover her mouth, looking stricken. "Oh," she groaned. "That is so embarrassing."

"Annie," Jeff stated with a grin. "I'm kind of a catch. I mean, look at me. I'm pretty adorable." He cocked his head to the side, willing her to smile at him. When her mouth finally quirked up on one side, Jeff felt as if he'd accomplished something great. A plate of cake was shoved in between them and Jeff looked up to see Abed gazing down at them curiously. He stood as Annie accepted the plate from Abed. "Do I want to know how you figured all of that out? Were you having us tailed?" Abed shook his head. "Then how did you manage to make what was basically one long re-enactment of the last month?"

"Maybe he just wanted us to be together?" Annie suggested with a small smile.

"That's not it," Abed clarified with a shake of his head and Annie's smile faded. "Years of television watching has made me pretty adept at seeing things before other people can. Were you guys the original choice for coupledom in our group? No, but you're far more interesting." He took a bite of cake and chewed it in quietly. "It wasn't a matter of working to get you two together because I want you to be together. It was more just a matter of tracking something that was inevitable and trying to speed the process up slightly."

Annie stood as well, now face to face with the film maker. "Why would you do that?"

"I've already told you Annie. I don't like relationship drama, and the faster we can get past this kind of stuff, the faster we can get back to fun adventures. For instance, I'm thinking about building a time machine." Abed looked between the two of them as he chewed.

"It was a good movie, Abed."

"Thanks," Abed replied. "I'm thinking about entering it in some festivals in the fall. You guys will have to sign a release though."

Jeff raised an eyebrow. "Can I get a producing credit on it?"

"Sure," Abed answered.

"Then have fun at Sundance."

Abed nodded at them before walking over to join Troy and Britta, who were seemingly in the middle of a pretty involved conversation. Jeff watched them for a moment, trying to read their lips when he felt a small hand slide against his. He glanced down and smiled at the sight of Annie's fingers interlocking with his own. When he met her gaze, she smiled sweetly up at him.

"I'm kind of tired," she stated softly. "Can we go home now?"

He squeezed her hand.

"We can definitely go home now."


End file.
